Aratamete
by Ryyne
Summary: Tomoyo leads a lonely life. Sakura and Syaoran live in Hong Kong and are engaged; her one friend is an elderly bartender. What events ensue when Eriol finds her? (E/T) And then, a bit of Clow's past that had never been revealed... *FINISHED!*
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: I do not own Card Captor Sakura, CLAMP does. Lucky them! (I also don't own the song Purachina, or Platinum, sung by Sakamoto Ma'aya. It's the third season opening theme.)

Aratamete (Over Again)

Chapter One

            It was night in Tokyo. The lights lit up the entire city; no need for a moon. People were talking animatedly in restaurants, touring Shinto and Buddhist shrines, and, of course, going to the annual Hana (flower) Festival [1].

            A young, dark-haired man stepped off a bus. He glanced around, seemingly reminiscing, and turned sharply towards the festival. 

            ' Damn…where is she?' Suddenly his head jerked and he spun right. The man walked quickly, then slowed down in front of a teashop. He slowly entered, making sure to go relatively unnoticed. He quietly took a seat at the bar and focused his attention on the young woman at the karaoke machine. Her sweet, flowing voice filled the room as everyone watched, enchanted.

I'm a dreamer…

Hidden power

My world

is made of dreams, love, and worries.

But there are still things lying hidden

that I can't even imagine

Facing the sky, like all the different trees,

I'm gazing right at you.

I'm a dreamer...

Hidden power...

A world yet unseen...

No matter what awaits me there,

even if it's not the ideal,

I won't be afraid.

The birds travel on the wind

on a journey from today to tomorrow.

I want to tell you...I want to shout it...

I am but one entity in this world.

But like a prayer, like a star,

even with a small light, someday,

I want to be

stronger and stronger.

There are limitless possibilities,

right here in my grasp.

I want to find my dream... I want to make it come true...

There is nothing that I can't overcome,

if I only believe.

Just like singing, just like miracles,

"feelings" can change everything!

Without a doubt... Without a doubt...

It's almost surprising!

            Once the young woman finished the song with a soft, fading ending, the audience was silent…then burst into loud applause, complete with catcalls and whistles. She smiled softly, and bowed, then exited the karaoke stage and gracefully walked over to the bar. Plopping herself on a seat next to the mysterious young man, she waved to the bartender, an old man with soft eyes and wrinkles gracing his features.

            "Ah. Konbanwa, Tomoyo- chan! The usual, I suppose?"

            "Hai. Arigato, Ojii-san." [2]

The bartender filled a small, clear glass with iced green tea, a slid it across the countertop to Tomoyo. She caught the glass, and held it, her arm resting on the table. 

The teashop wasn't very crowded tonight; many possible customers were at the festival. Tomoyo and the young man were the only ones at the countertop, everyone else were on small marble tables. 

            "So, Tomoyo- chan, are you planning on going to the festival?" The bartender inquired, his eyes twinkling.

            "No. I…I'm so busy nowadays that…I don't have time for such events." Tomoyo answered, a little sadly.

            "Tomoyo-chan!" The bartender scolded, "You need to get out more! If you don't take it upon yourself to go, I'll force you to. Heaven knows you need it."

            "D-demo…I…" Tomoyo stuttered. The young man leaned on the countertop, his brows furrowing.

            "Tomoyo-chan, please listen to me. You are NOT too busy. You're not even doing anything these days! What's making you so busy anyways?" The bartender looked at her with curious eyes, awaiting a response to her question.

Tomoyo took a long sip of her drink, avoiding "Ojii-san"'s eyes. She stayed silent.

            "Tomoyo-chan. Why won't you go anywhere? Parties, festivals, clubs… This teashop is the only somewhat social place you come to. Tomoyo-chan, you just stay in your huge mansion. I suppose you are very attached to it since you helped rebuild it, demo…Tomoyo-chan…" He ended with a sigh. Tomoyo spoke softly.

            "I-I love the mansion…it reminds me of someone- someone that I haven't seen in a long time...I'm trying to find him, but-" The bartender and the young man started in surprise.

            "Him?" The bartender inquired coyly.

            "Ojiiiiiii-saaaan!" A red tinge had appeared on her cheeks. "But- yes, I am trying to find him. He disappeared to London, England, a long time ago…"

            The young man spoke up. "Sixth grade, wasn't it, Daidouji-san?" Tomoyo whirled around to face the stranger. He was tall, yet not lean. His dark blue eyes twinkled in evil amusement, and his soft navy hair flowed freely over his eyes, giving the young man a mysterious air about him.

Tomoyo gasped in amazement. No one had ever called her "Daidouji-san" but…

            "Eriol!?" He grinned and nodded, a slight smirk showing on his lips.

            "The one and only, my dear Daidouji-san." Tomoyo blushed again. Not only had she neglected to put a suffix on his name, but also he had called her "my dear Daidouji-san"…which was quite typical of the sorcerer.

            "So, Daidouji-san…moved into my mansion, did you? Ah, well, it certainly fits you." Tomoyo nodded, still in shock.

            "I…I can't believe it's…you." She spoke softly, tears threatening. Eriol noticed this.

            "Daidouji- san…you really didn't think that I wouldn't come back, after all we went through? Although I was hoping to see my cute ancestor again…" He chuckled evilly. Tomoyo giggled, her mood lightening dramatically.

            "Oh, you would just LOVE that, now wouldn't you?" She mock-glared. Then she smiled. "Luckily for Li-kun, he's in China now…along with Sakura-chan. The wedding is in a few weeks, I think…" She looked thoughtful. "I'm the bride's maid, and, of course, her clothing designer." She winked cutely. "Got to have the best for my Sakura-chan!" Eriol laughed openly.

            "Daidouji-san," he shook his head, "you haven't changed a bit." He smiled and met her happy eyes. "I'm glad." He swept her up in a huge hug, his somewhat large frame enveloping her delicate one. Tomoyo was shocked: Eriol had never been this…open before. She cleared her throat, and Eriol quickly set her down, yet not seeming to regret anything. "Hai, Daidouji-san?"

            "Ano…Hiiragizawa-kun, would you like to come over for tea? Or perhaps a midnight snack?" Tomoyo inquired politely.

            "Sure. Now?"

            "Hai, now. Bye, Ojii-san!" She waved to the bartender, who had been listening to the conversation, engrossed, and occasionally chuckling.

            "Bye, Tomoyo-chan! Remember what I said!" He called as she ran out of the shop with Eriol in tow. "…Because now…You don't have an excuse, "my dear Daidouji-san"." He chuckled once more and shook his head, then returned to wiping the counter.

AN: The next chapter will be a bit longer, I think. But comment/criticize/flame/praise.

Hai = yes

Ano… = hesitation word, like um…

Konbanwa = good evening

Arigato = thanks / thank you

[1]: A completely fictional event. I made it up for the purpose of this story. ^^

[2]: Ojii-san is similar to "grandfather" in English. The bartender is NOT her biological grandfather, just a very close friend, who Tomoyo considers her grandfather.

REVIEW,

-kat


	2. Chapter Two

AN: Thanks to all of you who reviewed! (Oh, and the next chapter will come out sooner than this one did)!

Aratamete

Chapter Two

The two were virtually silent as they walked awkwardly along the unusually sparsely populated streets of downtown Tokyo. Eriol had his hands shoved into his large pockets, and Tomoyo was swinging her intertwined hands behind her, humming softly. Eriol cleared his throat, feeling uncomfortable about the fact that he was…feeling uncomfortable. Erio prided himself on his certainty and precise-ness in every situation that could come his way…yet this was not a situation that he ever imagined would present itself.

            "So, Daidouji-san, I hear you made some renovations on my mansion?" He stated awkwardly, beating himself for sounding what he was feeling. Awkward, that is.

            "Hai, Hiiragizawa- kun. You heard correct. Not going deaf in your old age yet, are you?" She teased, not aware that this was a very questionable subject with her companion.

            "No, not going deaf yet," he agreed, faking a calm smile. Tomoyo noticed this, of course, being the perceptive woman that she is, yet decided to press upon it later.

            "Back to the subject at hand, what renovations did you make, exactly?" He tried to clear the rather unpleasant thoughts that had invaded his thinking space, and succeeded…for the time being.

            "You'll just have to see, "my dear" Hiiragizawa-kun," she mocked, quoting Eriol. Eriol started- since when did Tomoyo have a sense of humor? Of course, she had a sense of _evil_-ness about her, but since when did she tease and mock? 

            "I just hope that there aren't any frills decorating the window frames…" He shot back. Tomoyo giggled, then stopped walking. 

            "Oh, we're here! Please, come inside." The two walked down a long, stone path up to a somewhat-Victorian mansion. It looked an eerie moon dust color in the night, and Eriol wasn't so sure that it was just plain gray in the daylight. There was a small balcony in the back overlooking the woods (more specifically, a grove of cherry trees and many other complementary plants that stretched for quite a while).

            Tomoyo strolled up to the door, and opened it. They walked inside, Eriol glancing in every direction, surprised at how similar the house was to when he left it. Tomoyo led her guest down the long, red-carpeted hallway to a room. She slowly opened the door and looked closely at Eriol for his reaction. The room…was his. Everything was exactly as he had left it; the red chair sat nobly in the center, and a small glass table was in front of it. In the back of the room (to the left of the door) was a large brick fireplace. Apparently, it was used frequently, as ashes and wood graced it, and the wood was half-burned. Eriol looked shocked, but then allowed himself a tiny smile, and walked over to the red chair. He stroked its fabric, and gazed at the table. This was the very room in which he plotted his schemes against Sakura. Not to mention Syaoran. Yet…Tomoyo…he never had a chance to tease her, or play with her life. She was always just the innocent bystander of her friends' missions, taping every single thing Sakura said or did, and every single blush that Syaoran had. She didn't seem to have any visible or vulnerable weaknesses, much to Eriol's disappointment. Yes, he admitted it: he did enjoy teasing Syaoran, and playing with Sakura's magic.

            Tomoyo cleared her throat. "Hiiragizawa-kun?"

            "Oh! Gomen, Daidouji-san, I got lost for a while back there." He grinned amiably, and bowed. "Shall we proceed to the tea and cakes?" He strutted out of the room, this time having Tomoyo in tow (not the other way around), and led her to the kitchen. He was quickly remembering every single thing about this house, and it seemed as if he hadn't been "away" for more than ten years. Of course, there were a few changes: dark red couches and such were now a deep, calm purple, and Eriol's bedroom had been completely transformed to fit Tomoyo's tastes. The kitchen seemed more used than it was when Eriol left it; Tomoyo seemed to have been practicing cooking lately. Some flour was still on the counter, and an egg had cracked and was slowly leaking its yolk and white. The oven was still on; apparently, Tomoyo had forgotten to turn it off. A small white cake was in the center of the counter, with strawberries in a bowl and whipped cream already spread onto the concoction.

            Eriol's stomach grumbled, and he laughed. "So, Daidouji-san, when are we going to eat?"

            She smiled in response, and answered, "Why, are you getting a little hungry? Judging by that noise, I'd say you haven't eaten for days. But, hai, let's eat!"

            The rest of the night was spent laughing, reminiscing, and (of course) eating. A few hours later, while nearing midnight, Eriol rose. Tomoyo glanced up at him.

            "Gomen nasai, Daidouji-san, but I need to get going now." He reluctantly turned away from her, but Tomoyo grabbed his arm.

            "Matte, Hiiragizawa-kun! Where're you going? Are you leaving town now?" Eriol was silent to her question. He shrugged.

            "I'm not sure, Daidouji-san. I haven't been sure for ten years." Tomoyo was a bit confused by his admittance, but brushed it off.

            "Why don't you stay here? I could always use a bit of company. Plus, Sakura-chan's and Li-kun's wedding is coming up in two weeks. Perhaps you would come?"

            Eriol thought silently for a while, then mockingly slumped his shoulders in defeat. "You've got me, Daidouji-san. Hai, I'll stay. After all, I did want to see my cute little descendant again." He winked evilly at her. She giggled, and exclaimed,

            "Great! Now, where would you like to stay? There's a guest bedroom down the hall from my room-"

            "I know," he interrupted her. "This was my house originally." He chuckled. "But, hai, I'll sleep in the guest bedroom. That is, if you don't mind."

            "No, of course not! That's fine. Well, I'm going to take my shower now. See you in the morning, Hiiragizawa-kun!"

            "Likewise, my dear Daidouji-san." Tomoyo blushed a bit, and hurried off to her room. Eriol quickly turned around, and walked purposefully down the hall.

            "This will certainly be interesting," he murmured, then turned the doorknob of the guest bedroom, and walked in.

AN: Okay, so this chapter was a bit longer…but not much. ^^;; Yes, the story is going rather slowly right now, but trust me, it WILL pick up soon. I'm still kind of introducing things, like an extended prologue. Oh, I forgot to tell you last time:

Gomen= sorry

Please review! I don't care if you flame or praise. Suggestions and/or comments welcome. Who knows, you might influence the storyline a bit. After all, I have a few gaps that I need to fill up. It IS pretty much thought out though. But, anyway, I'm aiming for at least 5 reviews for this chapter. ^^;;

-kat


	3. Chapter Three

**AN: Sorry this took so long. As of 9:00 Friday morning, it's summer (for me). I've had many projects in the last few weeks, and, of course, finals week. I haven't had much time to do much writing; and, yes, I know what you're thinking: 'Well, now that it's summer for her, she can update once a day!' Well, I wish.  I do have another fanfiction (Dragonball, if you're interested), so I need to keep that going, and also this summer I plan to start drawing my comic (including making the character plans). Plus, my computer time is being (sob) rationed, and I won't have as much time to type anyway. But at least the updates won't be once every three weeks! ^^;; Probably once or twice every week; depending on what I feel like. **

**One last thing: you might have noticed that I added another genre to the setting of this story. Supernatural. Well, it's all part of the plot. You'll see…**

Disclaimer: I do not own Card Captor Sakura, CLAMP and a couple other companies do. (Oh, and people…just a reminder, PAY ATTENTION to the suffixes on names. They and a lot more meaning to certain scenes, especially this one…also, read the long paragraphs. I am especially proud of the one…well, you'll see.)

Enjoy.

            Aratamete

            Chapter Three

            _"Not so great now, are you, Clow-sama? Hardly what I'd expect of the 'great Clow!'" Her lips curled into a sadistic smile as she spoke._

            "Your pathetic guardians! Yes, I should dispose of them, shouldn't I?" She laughed. "But what's the fun in that?"

_            Her opponent merely stood. He was calm and collected; not at all what one would expect from someone knowing that they would die._

_            "You won't win, Sanalor. I will rise again." He stated this as it were the weather._

_            "Oh, really…Eriol-kun?" Her face started to shift and meld into a horribly recognizable one. The long, slender facial structure; mysterious copper eyes; and hair that matched the aforementioned. _

            _Eriol gasped and shook his head, trying to get this dream to stop. After all, this was only a dream. Hardly reality, yet…it all was so familiar._

_            "…Kaho?"_

_            She stared at him, unmoving. Eriol reached forward to touch her face, but she recoiled._

_            "Kaho, what's wrong?" He asked, doing something completely out of character- his eyes seemed glassy, as if he was holding back tears._

_            "Goodbye…Hiirigizawa-san." Eriol shivered. The way Kaho said it…it was so cold; so heartless. So _unlike _the Kaho that he knew. Then again, maybe the Kaho that he knew was not the real one._

_            Her image started to fade. It was very unlike the way that Sanalor's image transformed into Kaho. This was softer, more welcoming. For some reason he felt as if he need not fear what was to appear. Slowly, another shape started to form. He could make out long, dark hair, and the figure seemed rather delicate. Shortly he found himself staring into a pair of soft, clear violet eyes. He involuntarily took a step back._

_            "T-Tomoyo?"_

            Eriol bolted awake, slightly gasping for breath. He immediately reviewed his dream in his mind. Salanor, Kaho, and Tomoyo. Ha, how ironic. All women. He put on his glasses, and wrote the dream quickly on a scrap piece of paper. He'd think about it in the morning; now he just needed sleep.

            Three hours later Eriol woke up with a groan. 'Ugh…_damn_.' He cursed. His throat was constricted and dry; his sheets were slightly damp from him sweat, and his forehead was burning. He raised a palm to it to assess the degree of the fever. As his hand touched tentatively, a searing flash of pain passed through his head. Immediately Eriol's head was throbbing: it was like he had a headache, but the pain was more concentrated. He smirked weakly.

            "And I'm supposed to be helping Daidouji-san with the wedding planning today. Hm, I hope she doesn't go ahead without me. Li might faint when he sees the décor if I don't supervise…not to mention Sakura-san's outfit. Daidouji-san always did love to inflict pain to my dear ancestor." He chuckled, then cursed again as he was reminded of his current state. Eriol threw the sheets off and dragged himself out of bed, trying to ignore his condition. He ran his hand through his hair, making it even more ruffled than it already was, and walked unstably down the hall.

            Tomoyo had apparently just woken up also. Eriol saw her run out of her room, heading straight towards the kitchen. Suddenly, she stopped, sensing Eriol behind her. "Good morning, Hiirigizawa-kun." Then she turned and did a double take.

            "Hiirigizawa-kun! You look awful!"

            Eriol grumbled and muttered, "It's probably just a twenty-four hour bug. Nothing to worry about."

            But Tomoyo stood firm. "Get back in your bed, now. I'll bring you breakfast and some Tylenol."

            Eriol grumbled again, but dutifully trudged back and got into bed. With impeccable timing, Tomoyo came in holding a tray with breakfast on it, a glass of water and two small, white pills. "Eat you breakfast first; it's better to take medicine on a full stomach. I'm going to sit in here until you finish so you don't throw the pill or your breakfast away." Tomoyo shook her head, but she was smiling.

            "Damnit, Daidouji-san…I can't get away with anything around here. It's like you have magical powers or a sixth sense. 'Super Perception'!" Eriol said the last part in a cheesy, heroic voice. Tomoyo's eyes twinkled.

            "Who knows? Maybe I do…but don't you dare try and get me distracted, Hiirigizawa-kun. I am staying here, whether you like it or not." She said.

            "'Super Perception' strikes again," Eriol muttered loudly enough for Tomoyo to hear.

            "Right. Now eat!" So Eriol ate. Tomoyo had prepared many different foods: there was sushi, sweet soup, small cakes and traditional Japanese green tea. The cakes were fascinating, if not comical. They were shaped like Eriol's and Sakura's staffs; there was a small round one that strongly resembled Syaoran's Lasin Board. There was also a pink one which was supposed to be Sakura's costume while she and Syaoran had battled the Void Card; but it had been slightly smushed and now looked a bit more like a fat flamingo. Eriol stifled a laugh. He glanced at the cakes once more, and a very unique one caught his eye. It was of a moon. There were small light pink dollops of icing covering the concoction, with a green leaf beside every single one. Finally, to top it all off, there was a border of deep purple icing. The purple icing looked like marble: sewn into it were shades of violet and maroon; shades of almost black, and he faintly saw a thin stream of dark navy running through. When inspecting the purple border more closely, he noticed that the cookie itself had a very weak tint of light but pure violet; there were no extra miscellaneous colors hiding in it.

            Eriol glanced up at Tomoyo. She started, and he was now aware that Tomoyo had been watching him the entire time. She smiled softly…or maybe weakly. To Eriol, it seemed like both.

            "So, do you like them?" Tomoyo asked, her voice sounding strained. Eriol didn't answer. He was too busy realizing something. 

'I don't know Daidouji-san at all,' he thought. 'There's a whole other side of her that I've never noticed…or perhaps never bothered to notice,' he reflected bitterly.

"Hiirigizawa-kun?" Tomoyo said, and cleared her throat when he again remained silent.

"Eh? Oh, hai…I do. I especially like that one," He pointed to the cake shaped in the likeness of a crescent moon.

Tomoyo's face lit up. "That's my favorite, also," She nodded to the same cake that Eriol had pointed at. "It took me a long time, but it was worth it." She smiled sadly. "It's beautiful."

"Hai. It is," Eriol agreed. He fixated a stare of the concoction, memorizing every detail. He found himself strangely attracted to the thin line a navy blue in the purple icing, but thought nothing of it. "I really don't want to eat it," He joked.

Tomoyo laughed. "Hai, I know what you mean."

There was a short silence, promptly broken by Tomoyo urging Eriol to eat. He laughed, but did as she commanded. The only thing he left was the moon-shaped cake. Eriol gazed at the creation, and Tomoyo followed his gaze. She then did the same; staring at the cake like it was some sort of symbol. Which it was, in a way. Tomoyo had unconsciously threaded her life and thoughts into the cake, one by one. To the observant eye, they might recognize a few things that were representing something greater; to the unobservant (or uneducated) eye, it was what it was. 

"What do you say we share it?" Eriol asked, his unwavering gaze now turning to Tomoyo. She shuddered a bit under her companion's stare; it was like he was looking straight into her minds and soul, as cliché as that may sound.

"Er, hai. That'd be great," Tomoyo said absently. She was a little more focused on the fact that Eriol was staring at her than how to eat the cake. So, Eriol split the cake right down the center, horizontally. Each side was the mirror image of the other. He passed the upper half to Tomoyo, and kept the bottom half for himself. He glanced at the cake one more time, and then bit into it boldly.

            "Hey, Daidouji-san, I think this one is better than the others!" He said perkily, his mood changing instantly. Tomoyo lifted her eyes to meet his.

            "Really." It was a statement, not a question. Tomoyo bit a small bite of her half, and she nodded almost immediately. "Hey, you're right!" She said laughing. "Maybe I put a bit more sugar in it by accident." She looked at Eriol's eyes again, and was taken aback to find that they were again staring at her, this time with an expression that she couldn't quite place. It was almost as if he was fighting himself, and not only over what to say, but also…it seemed that he was almost strangling himself in order to keep himself contained.

            His eyes finally settled in a defeated manner, and he said tightly, "No, that's not the reason."

**AN: Hmm, this was a pretty long chapter. A pretty pointless one too…well, at least to you guys. A hint: dig a little deeper into this chapter. You'll find a couple of things that you might've missed.  ^^ Also, it seems that Eriol is starting to get a little…moody. PMS? Just kidding.**

**Next chapter: We'll get a lot more accomplished, and Eriol will remember the little piece of paper that he wrote his dream on. An (sort of) explanation of the dream will follow, plus some interesting realization for Eriol. It's not what you think. Pay attention to the name suffixes in the dream and you might see what I'm getting at. ^^**

**Ja'ne.**

**-kat**


	4. Chapter Four

AN: Thank you so much for your encouraging reviews! Just For that, here's the next chapter. Very fast update. (Animegirl-mika, you got it! I was wondering if anyone noticed the symbolism; no one mentioned it.) 

**Disclaimer: I do not own Card Captor Sakura; however, Ojii-san is my own character. The Hana Festival is my own event/place too, Salanor is my original character, and _micaros_ (you'll learn about them in this chapter) are my invention also. **

Aratamete

            Chapter Four

            Eriol felt Tomoyo stare at him. His was hardly a friendly stare; yet it wasn't exactly an _un_friendly one either. He ignored her. 'Why the hell did I say that? It…wasn't me.' His head racing with confusion and his heart pounding with anxiety (something in the back of his mind told him angrily that that was not his heart's emotion; he pushed it away unhesitatingly), he swallowed the pills eagerly, hoping that the reason he was acting so strangely was the illness.

            'It was probably just the headache talking,' he told himself. His eyes flicked up at Tomoyo, she was still watching him. He cleared his throat.

            "Er, I think I'll just go to sleep now…" He said to her halfheartedly. She started.

            "Oh! Um, hai, I think that would be for the better," she quickly excused herself and exited the room, throwing one last look at him before going out of sight. He waited until he couldn't hear her footsteps echoing in the hall, and then glanced at the clock. It was only seven-thirty. He groaned, and his eyes fell on a small, slightly wrinkled piece of torn paper resting on the bedside table. It was turned over conspicuously, so that no one could see what was written. Eriol wondered briefly if Tomoyo had noticed it; she had made no indication to convince Eriol that she had indeed seen it.

            He quickly dispelled these thoughts and turned his attention back to where it was needed. He flipped the paper over, and saw his dream written on it. Eriol raised and eyebrow, and shook his head at no one in particular. How could he have forgotten?! He sighed angrily and focused on re-reading the dream.

            After his mind had re-absorbed all the information, he flopped back on his bed and rested his head on the pillow. Closing his eyes, he went over the dream again and again.

             _Her image started to fade. It was very unlike the way that Sanalor's image transformed into Kaho. This was softer, more welcoming. For some reason he felt as if he need not fear what was to appear. Slowly, another shape started to form. He could make out long, dark hair, and the figure seemed rather delicate. Shortly he found himself staring into a pair of soft, clear violet eyes. He involuntarily took a step back._

_            "T-Tomoyo?"_

            Suddenly, Eriol gasped. His mind cleared for a moment, and he found his face warming. In his dream…he had called Daidouji-san by her first name. 'And,' he realized, 'When I was thinking about it…I called her Tomoyo also.' He had _never_ called anyone by his or her first name except Kaho, whether it be in thought or aloud. He winced at the memory. Kaho…she was the reason of his loneliness for the past ten years. Yes, she had been with him for, what, three years? Somehow, he never felt like he could reveal his true self around her. He always had to keep himself in check. Eriol had an ominous intuition that the reason for that was that Kaho was (physically) much older than him. He had no doubt about the obvious love between them; but he could not ignore the awkwardness he felt physically towards her, and vice versa. Eventually, the two of them had come to the conclusion that if they didn't care enough to overcome their corporeal discomfort with each other, that what they had wasn't the "real thing". 

            Eriol had always suspected that Kaho had never truly loved him. He had absolutely no proof or evidence; it was what one would call a "gut feeling". And, to be perfectly honest (to Kaho, himself, and his sanity), he had had misgivings and doubts about his true feelings. He still had doubts, and still brooded over them, but the line between the four passions- infatuation, love, lust, and hate- is very thin, and fades as time goes by. Not just for individuals, but the world was-and is- slowly becoming oblivious to the distinctions. Eriol was still not quite sure what had gone on between them. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be…maybe. 

            As Eriol continued being lost in his thoughts and theories, a (rather unpleasant) thought occurred to him. What if he was attracted to her magic? Or, more specifically, the several magical artifacts that she held? It was certainly possible; Li-kun was once infatuated with (Eriol snorted silently at the notion) Yue because of his power inflicted by the moon.

            Suddenly Eriol became angry with himself. If his new-found theory was true…how could he have let himself become ensnare that easily?! He was the most powerful sorcerer in the known universe! In the back of his mind, a thought sparked: 'well, people do say that love can overcome anything…' He shook his head furiously. It was _not _love! 

            Eriol stopped his inner battle immediately. He had had just unwittingly admitted- or _recognized_- that he, in fact, never did and never will love Kaho.

            Eriol moaned (he wasn't quite sure why), and forced himself to concentrate on the beginning of the dream (the truth was, thinking about Kaho- or, more specifically, his relationship with her- was noticeably increasing the level of pain of his headache). But, wait… Salanor. Ah, yes, he remembered her. Well, the Clow part of him did…it was one of the very few memories that had remained throughout the reincarnation. Salanor was Clow's elder sister; a beautiful woman who was not always quite what she seemed. She was widely known for seducing men and, after she was through with a certain one, literally tossed him aside. And then focused on another.

            She had always been envious of Clow's power. Salanor had never quite understood why he was greater than her, and to tell the truth, neither did Eriol. He supposed that that piece of knowledge was not passed from Clow to Eriol. 

            Why was she in his dream? And why -this puzzled him the most- did she call him Eriol, right before she transformed? Was it possible (Eriol sucked in his breath) that she, also, had reincarnated herself? If so, _who was she now?_

            Eriol sighed deeply and opened his eyes. All this emotional stress, and to top it all off, he was ill. 'Which,' he realized, 'should never have happened…' Eriol had long ago cast a spell on himself that caused his body to be immune to simple, non-magical diseases and illnesses. I was a simple spell, really, and it could do so much for the human race, if only he could perform the charm on the entire world. No cancer, AIDS, not even the common cold.

            Eriol's blood ran cold, fully realizing the extent of this. Somehow, he had retracted a magical disease. All sorcerers know that the only way to get a magical disease (called a _micaro_, the 'c' pronounced like a 's') was for another person to pass it on- one cannot get a _micaro_ from food or the like. Another known fact about _micaros_ was that only- _only_- beings with magic flowing in their blood could become ill with one.

            Eriol's mouth opened in horror and astonishment. He was only dimly aware of his worsening condition.

            'Oh, my god…'

**AN: Right. So, can anyone figure out the mystery? I've given you all the information; you just have to piece it together. Hint: look at the information about _micaros_. Think about it…**

**Next chapter: Part of the mystery will be solved, things will start making a little more sense and Eriol will finally be getting a break…or not. _WHAT?!_**

**Hope that keeps you satisfied for two or three days! …maybe less. Look for the next update!**

**-kat (Sorry about the essentially all-thought chapter; it was necessary to reveal some things.)**


	5. Chapter Five

AN: Again, thank you for the kind reviews! To those who are confused…don't worry; it'll be cleared up in this chapter (I hope). Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Card Captor Sakura…refer to chapter four to know which ideas/inventions I _do_ own. Also, the message on the back of the mirror was inspired by the last sentence of Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities. (The language I used for the actual message is my invention, and an emossion is my own invention.)**

            Aratamete

            Chapter Five

            "Oh, my god…" Eriol repeated, running his fingers through his hair.

            'How could I have not noticed? It was so obvious…she had always been rather perceptive.' He grinned, despite the situation. 'Then again, I had always been a bit preoccupied.' He sighed.

            'I suppose I should be absolutely certain before I make any rash decisions. After all, if I'm right, she would be suffering also.' Then he recalled something that he had once read:

            _Often times, one is not aware of their magical capabilities. Certain events may bring their powers out into the open, or perhaps their powers are dormant until their body or mind is physically or mentally capable of holding their ability. When magic holders' power (s) are first being awoken, they are not susceptible to normal problems a magical being might encounter, or (there is an estimated 0.694 chance of this) they are susceptible, but the symptoms will not show until the magic holder in question is in grave danger. For example, the Sorceress Lynnha [of ancient Somalia] had been infected with the _micaro Cidial_, yet she did not show any of the known symptoms until two days before her death [on December 13, 1066 AD)._

Eriol frowned grimly. 'I'll have to keep an eye on her for the next couple of days.' He sighed in frustration. 'But, how? She'll never let me out of bed until I'm well.' He cocked his head, and a thought struck him.

            'Of course, why didn't I think of this before?' He closed his eyes and concentrated. Slowly, he started to feel a weight forming on his right hand. His eyes snapped open, and he grinned. "Hey, I guess I'm not as out-of-shape as I thought!" __

            In his hand sat a small, round mirror. Instead of the normal glass, the mirror held (in the center) a black, flat stone that was set firmly. He turned over the mirror, and on the back, engraved in the gold base, were the words: "_youi alacro con na, alacro conli; aere; youi migau na, alacro migauli"._ Eriol furrowed his brow and tried to remember what the words meant. His memory failed him, however; and the words of wisdom remained uncovered: _"what one has not known, one will know; therefore; what one has not done, one will do." _

Eriol held the mirror and chanted the strange phrase repeatedly, "youi alacro con na, alacro conli; aere; youi migau na, alacro migauli… youi alacro con na, alacro conli; aere; youi migau na, alacro migauli…" Slowly, the black stone set in the mirror started to shift. Its shape did not change, but its complexion seemed to become clearer, and Eriol saw an image slowly forming. It looked like a mere reflection, but that would be impossible. Tomoyo was not in the room. 

            The image was of Tomoyo in the kitchen. She was silent, which was unusual for her. Normally while cooking, she hummed a song that Eriol supposed she had memorized from singing it at the karaoke machine often. Her back was turned so Eriol couldn't see her face, but he felt that if he could, her expression would not be a happy one. He sighed, and said softly, "Seluios con." _I know. _The image disappeared.

            Eriol sat silently for a few minutes. Then, questions teemed his mind. "When will I know for sure? How many hours, day, or even months will this _micaro _I have last? And, if Tomoyo really _is_ anemossion [1], how will I stop her _micaro_?" 

His mind traveled back to the subject of Salanor. "Was she reincarnated? If so, who? And," He choked at the thought, "If so, when will she appear to kill me?" He shouted a string of curse words, not caring of Tomoyo heard. 

"Oh, well, she'll find out soon enough…chances are, she's an emossion…and with my luck, Salanor _was_ reincarnated." Eriol froze as a thought hit him. "Damnit it…Tomoyo," he whispered. "Salanor always did hate me…" He mind raced, and a memory surfaced. Salanor had once killed his first 'guardian', who was actually an apprentice sorcerer whom Eriol was teaching. She always hated the thought of other magicians not of the Clow line. There weren't many magicians at all: three of the Clow line (Eriol, Salanor, and his father), and a handful of lucky (or unlucky) ones who somehow, through either an object or a skill at birth, had obtained the ability to harness and direct energy or magic in different forms. That entire handful had mysteriously disappeared within a hundred years of their life (a third of a magic holder's life span), and Eriol [Clow] had always suspected that Salanor killed them all. Of course, there was no concrete evidence, but Eriol was certain.

            If Salanor were to find another magic holder not of the Clow line, she would go to any length to kill him or her. And, how convenient would it be if that person was also a close friend of Eriol's? She would kill _three_ birds with one stone: kill the one not from Clow's line, cause Eriol to suffer because of the death of a friend, and, finally, kill her 'beloved' brother. It was too much for anyone to resist. Then again, Salanor wouldn't even _try_ resisting.

Eriol sighed once more, and forced himself to get out of bed. Resting wouldn't help the _micaro_, only a spell or potion would, or Eriol could just let it run. He decided that he should just let it run. After all, next time he would be practically immune to it. Most _micaros_ are similar to the chicken pox- a wizard's body develops a defense mechanism and stores it in its memory.

               Eriol dragged himself down to the kitchen and put on a fake smile. "Ohayo again, Daidouji-san!" He chirped. Se turned on a dime and stared. Eriol sombered.

               "Hai, hai, I know. I'm sorry; it slipped out." Eriol didn't ask why Tomoyo was so upset. He figured that the awakening powers were causing her emotions to go a bit haywire. She smiled forgivingly.

               "That's okay; I know I've been a bit moody lately. It's not all your fault." 

               "Be it or be it not, I will not take back my apology." He replied boldly. Tomoyo giggled. She knew he was being this gentlemanly on purpose.

               "Fine. Now, breakfast will be ready soon, take a seat. I don't care if you've already eaten." Eriol grinned. Aha! Now that that problem's solved, he can get to the much more important ones.

               "Yes, Daidouji-san." He mocked. She smiled again as he took a seat. She set out breakfast and Eriol ate a bit just to please her. Soon, the two cleared the table, and Tomoyo inquired,

               "Are you feeling better, Hiirigizawa-kun? You certainly look it." 

               "Hai. It must have been a short little wave of sickness." 

               "Good." She stated firmly. She put her hand on his forehead nevertheless, and Eriol felt his head floating. 

               "Must be the sickness again," He told himself. Of course, Eriol didn't believe it. He stared straight into Tomoyo's eyes, as she was gauging his forehead temperature. Soon, she felt his eyes on her and turned her head slightly up to face him. The proximity between them startled both, and Eriol quickly leaned in without warning and kissed her forehead, then cheek, and was moving to kiss her neck when he realized what exactly he was doing. He flushed unexpectedly, and took a glance at Tomoyo's eyes. There were wide, and Eriol couldn't help but notice how mysteriously the blues and purples mixed to create the perfect shade. She was blushing shyly, and seemed to be holding back a smile.

               Eriol stuttered. "Er, thank you for the breakfast. Ano, I-I'll see you later," He exited the room quickly, his blush slowly fading. Once he left the kitchen he unconsciously headed towards his old bedroom- now Tomoyo's. He obviously didn't realize it, but, as the saying goes, "love is blinding."

**AN: ::grins evilly:: Oh, how I love torturing Eriol. Next chapter: Festival time! Embarrassment abounds! An Ojii-san makes an appearance again. Also, Eriol comes to a conclusion…actually two conclusions. As if everyone doesn't already know.**

**[1] This is my own creation, do I don't expect anyone to know what it is. An emossion is a magic holder whose powers are good intuition and perceptiveness, plus a few that are individualized. I combined the words "emotion" and "passion" to create it. Why? You'll see in time.**

**Review please! I'd like to know how well I did with the "romantic" scene. Trust me, it only gets better. ^^ (Ask me if you're still confused; I might put out a special explanation chapter if enough people are. If I do, though, it will delay the real sixth chapter.)**

**-kat**


	6. Chapter Six

AN: ATTENTION: Many people seemed to have missed the last update (chapter five). It's an important chapter, so if you haven't read it- read it! Even if you think you have, go back and make sure.  (Oh, and I changed my penname form "kat" to "hazelwand".)

Disclaimer: Refer to previous chapters.

NOTE: Sorry this is so late; I just spent ten days in Costa Rica. Once again, "lo siento". (Spanish!) Also, a little CCS fic I made in a night and morning just came out. Just telling you. It's plot-less, but certainly not pointless…at least, I think so. -__-

Aratamete

Chapter Six

            Eriol's face was burning as he plopped down into the dark violet chair. Suddenly, as if he regained all sensibility, he sprang up out of the chair and glanced wildly around. 

            'Oh. This is Daidouji-san's room,' He thought absentmindedly. 'Not mine.' He sighed in frustration.

            'Why did I kiss her like that?' He wondered. Suddenly, his mind darkened and he punched the chair with all his might. His jaw clenched in unspoken anger.

            "WHY DID I?!" He yelled, not caring that Tomoyo was probably still in the kitchen. Eriol wouldn't blame her if she were angry; he would be absolutely livid if someone had just kissed _him_ out of the blue like that. 

            Eriol's eyes traveled over the room, fully recognizing it. Tomoyo hadn't changed it much: the bed was in the same position (Eriol paused for a moment to beat out the thoughts that had entered his head), and there was still the mahogany piano softly resting in the corner. A small, bright piece of paper caught his eye, and he swiftly picked it up. It was a flier for the Hana Festival:

_This year's Hana Festival!_

_Complete with fortune telling, rides (our famous Ferris wheel!), goldfish catching, many, many family booths, and wonderful, authentic Japanese food!_

_Come with a friend, family member, or that special someone! (A haunted house for you feisty ones!)_

Eriol grimaced at the haunted house comment; it seemed rather sordid to him. Tomoyo's softly smiling face entered his mind for a second, and he had the grace to blush as he shook his head, releasing any impure thoughts.

_Costs 1.50 per individual, 2.50 per couple, and ask about the family discount at the Services Booth!_

_We hope to see you there!_

Eriol's mind traveled back to last night ('Only last night, yet it seems like such a long time ago,' he reflected wistfully), and what "Ojii-san" had said to Tomoyo: she wasn't getting out very much, she needed a social life, she should go to the festival…his brain back-tracked to the latter.

            'Of course! Another way to keep an eye on her.' He grinned at his genius, but then his reality shattered.

            'Oh, god. This will be so embarrassing…how can I face her?! Great going, Eriol, less than twenty-four hours and you've already made a fool out of yourself!' Then he had a thought. 'Why not take "Ojii-san" along? After all, Tomoyo does seem rather attached to him, and it would help to ease the awkwardness.' Little did Eriol know that Ojii-san had an acute fondness for teasing.

            Eriol shoved his hands in his pockets and walked towards the kitchen determinedly.  He paused before the door of the room, debating whether this was a god idea after all. Before he could talk himself out of it, he plunged into the metaphorical Hell. 

            Tomoyo was quietly reading a book in a couch. The elegant and spacious living room adjoined the kitchen; it was rather nice. One could spend their whole day in that room without moving more than a few yards. Eriol supposed that Tomoyo loved that aspect, as he suspected that she had grown to love quiet and solitude even more in the past years. Not sure exactly how to approach her, he crept up behind the couch she was nestled on. Eriol grinned, some of his evil and mischievous nature returning. 

            'One…Two…Three!' Eriol suddenly grabbed Tomoyo from behind. In hindsight (which, as everyone knows, is twenty-twenty), Eriol was hugging her more than grabbing. 

            "AIE!" Tomoyo shrieked and whirled around, her expression immediately becoming unreadable as she realized whom her offender was.

            "Konnichiwa, Daidouji-san," Eriol said evenly, grinning all the while. He seemed to have forgotten the kissing incident…of course; Eriol always was the master of trickery and disguise.     

            Tomoyo blushed. Apparently what had transpired a while ago had not in the least bit left her mind. Not that it had left her "attacker"'s, mind you. "K-konnichiwa, Hiiriqizawa-kun." She glanced up at him and their eyes met.

At that moment, a sort of mutual understanding passed between them. It would be best to forget about the embarrassing occurrence. Both of their reasons were slightly different, but the result was the same.

If only…

………………………………………………………………………

            "So, you see, the Ferris wheel was originally a mobile statue. A person accidentally climbed on it and it started turning-" Eriol was interrupted by Tomoyo laughing hysterically. "What? It's true, I tell you! True!"

            "Right," She gasped. "Have you and Yamazaki-kun been exchanging stories again, Hiirigizawa?"

            "Of course not!" Eriol exclaimed, horrified. "I would never do such a thing, Daidouji-san!" He winked indiscreetly at Ojii-san. Ojii-san laughed openly, and Tomoyo turned a quizzical look towards him.

            "You two act like a married couple," He said, chuckling. Eriol turned red as he remembered the earlier incident and Tomoyo made a small, cute noise.

            "Ojiii-saaan!" She groaned, starting to blush.

            "What?" He asked innocently. _Too_ innocently. "Is there something I don't know?" At this Eriol emitted a soft choking sound. Ojii-san laughed, apparently loving his teasing rendezvous. Tomoyo was staring at the ground, digging her foot in the dirt.

            "Ano…aa…" Tomoyo faked concentration on the flat, mottled festival ground. There weren't any plants- not even weeds- dotting the surface at all, it was all dirt: a sort of mousy-brown dirt—well, there was actually more caked and dried mud on the ground than the aforementioned; covering it like icing. (Rain had made a long-overdue debut yesterday morning.) Similarly, Tomoyo was, by now, long over-due in her response to Ojii-san's question-slash-tease. "…No." She finally managed a dignified answer, and Ojii-san's nose wrinkled.

            "No…? Really, now, I'm disappointed in you, Hiirigizawa-kun." His mouth was set in an unwavering line, but his eyes were smiling.

            See, there's a funny thing. Such a cliché (aren't clichés so cliché?); used so often and dismissed equally often. Many writers write the phrase without thinking twice, really, it's much too frequently just a "filler". Yet, I do not write that phrase ("his mouth was set in an unwavering line, but his eyes were smiling") lightly. There are many types of smiles: ones in which one stretches their lips in such a way that the corners lift and curl slightly, and the skin at the corners of the eyes crinkle- the most genuine. Ones in which the lips stretch and the tips curl- yet the skin near the eyes don't crinkle- those are fake smiles. The person in question may be suffering, or is manipulating you, the reader. Watch the eyes carefully, as they are the real indicators, not the mouth. Yes- that is what I, the author, meant by the clichéd phrase. "His eyes were smiling, yet his mouth was no"- if so, the observed desires to fool you, the reader. He or she is teasing- or swaying- you. Those are not to be bewared; those are to be found and known.

            Eriol and Tomoyo didn't know this, however. If they had, they could have possibly avoided crashing. Their vehicle wasn't in the best of shape, though; so one can't be too hard. Then again, it was their reluctance to maintain the vehicle's original condition that caused it to eventually fail. Ah, well, live and learn.

            In response to Ojiii-san's comment, Eriol- in this very particular order- squeaked, blushed, glanced at Tomoyo, and wished desperately for his staff. "Well…" He mumbled something incoherent, and Ojii-san's ears pricked up. He decided not to continue the tor- er, harassment; he was one of those people who knew their limits. (Bartender.) Tactfully, he steered the conversation away from its current topic- if you could call it that.

            "So, Hiirigizawa-kun…what do you do for a living?" Ojii-san asked, fifty-percent curious, fifty-percent forgiving.

            "Ano…well, I'm pretty much independently wealthy." Eriol smiled his patented smile at Ojii-san, perfectly calm and level-headed.

            'Strange,' Tomoyo noted. 'He seems so…different, now.'

            "Ah? Is that so? Tomoyo-chan is also. Ne, Tomoyo-chan?" He asked her, turning his attention with a twinkle in his eye.

            "A-ah?! Oh! Eh, yes. He already knows, Ojii-san," She reminded him, after being startled out of a reverie.

            "Oh, yes. So I've heard." He winked at Eriol and Eriol smiled again, inwardly determined _not_ to lose his poise again. "When did you two meet, again?"

            "Ano…I suppose it was fifth grade…or was it sixth, Hiirigizawa-kun?"

            "Fifth." [AN: Forgive me if I'm wrong; my Internet connection is down and my first chapter is on another computer…gomen. ^^;;] Tomoyo nodded quietly.

            "Hai, it was fifth. Now I remember because that was when Sakura-chan and Li-kun…" Her voice trailed off and Eriol knew the reason. He gracefully turned the conversation away, much like Ojii-san had done earlier.

            "How long have you two known each other?" The fact that Eriol was looking at Tomoyo with concern etched in his features didn't slip by Ojii-san. If he knew, Eriol would have been ashamed that the elder could read him so easily. No one had accomplished that before…except Tomoyo. She didn't count, however. That was…different.

            "Well, I remember when Tomoyo first came into the shop…" Ojii-san continued to tell the tale of "the lonely and quiet and etc. Tomoyo-chan."

            The rest of the night they reminisced and told various anecdotes, laughing and smiling and (occasionally) crying. It was a perfect Kodak moment. If only Tomoyo could videotape herself…

            At about eleven o'clock, Eriol excused himself.

            "Nani?! Demo, Hiirigizawa-kun…!" Eriol waved off Tomoyo's polite yet sincere protest.

            "It's nothing; I just have something to take care of." Eriol was acutely aware of Tomoyo's accusing gaze. Last time he said that, it was right before Sakura and Yukito went in the maze at the carnival. Right before Sakura discovered Eriol and he had to wipe her memory. Right before…everything.

            "Oh, it's fine. We'll manage, ne, Tomoyo-chan?" Ojii-san smiled comfortingly at Tomoyo-chan, conscious of her distress. He knew of her affection for her dark companion. And, he had to admit, they went very well together. There was still something about him, though…something he couldn't quite place. Ojii-san dismissed it, after all, it wasn't necessarily _bad_… just mysterious.

            "Hai." Tomoyo's spirits already had a damper on them. "Well then, I quess I'll be seeing you tomorrow morning, ne, Hiirigizawa-kun?"

            "I suppose… Oh, and I have something to tell you, Daidouji-san. It's urgent.

"Well, until next time!" Eriol smiled his patented smile once again, and turned to walk quietly back. He soon disappeared into the crowd.

            Tomoyo spent the rest of the night wondering what in the world he had to tell her. Many theories flooded into her mind, and most we're plain absurd, some were almost _embarrassing_, and some were…well, likely but she dearly hoped that she wasn't correct in those particular assumptions. And so, the night carried on…

            While Tomoyo was pondering and Ojii-san was trying incredibly hard to resist the unspeakable urge to tease [AN: XP…He almost sounds like me. I love to tease…well, harmless teasing. Like Ojii-san. XD], Eriol was pacing up and down his old room, which currently happened to be Tomoyo's. He couldn't help it; somehow he just felt…_right_ there. A blush rose to his face when a particularly perverted thought invaded his mind, but he shook off both the thought and the blush.

            'Damn it, Eriol, THINK! How could I be sure…How…' His mind was imitating his feet as it paced across the span of his head- figuratively, of course. He brought out the mirror and said the incantation to it, a bit mildly. Tomoyo's image was immediately brought to the "screen", and Eriol's heart lifted at the sight of her. He grinned with newfound determination and set the mirror on the bed-side table. Eriol didn't quite realize what he was doing; he didn't realize that he had looked to Tomoyo for comfort and purpose. 

Eriol stopped pacing up and down the room, and stood quietly in the center of it. He cursed for God-knows-what reason, and on impulse, headed down the hall. He turned the corner and went into his other room, the one with the fireplace and noble red chair. His plotting room. Without thinking, he sat calmly- at leats, as calmly as he could manage- in the chair, and rested his head on his elbows as he closed his eyes deep in thought. Somehow, his mind flicked back to the other time he was like this. That was when he was calling Sakura to warn her of the Void Card…he chuckled silently, thinking that all he needed now was a phone call, and it would like reliving it all over again.

Suddenly, the phone rang.

            Eriol raised a single brow, trying to fight down the sense of panic that was rising like a tsunami inside of him. [AN: ::winces:: What a cheesy simile…]

            He slowly picked up the phone, and keeping his voice level, he said, "Hello?"

            "Why, hello, my dear Clow-sama…" The cold, feminine voice chilled Eriol to the core. [AN: No pun intended…I think.] There were only a handful of people who knew he was Clow; why, he could count them off on his fingers.

            "Who are you?!" The panic had started to steadily rise.

            "Oh, but I'm _so_ _ashamed_ and _hurt_ that you don't recognize my voice, Clow." The voice was a bit familiar, but was so bitter and emotionless that he couldn't quite place it.

            "Say Clow-_sama_," he snapped. 

            "Very well. Would "brother" be more to your liking?"

AN: Okay, so, the "conclusions" weren't quite _conclusions…_ but I changed this chapter a bit more my original outline/plan. Sorry 'bout that. I hope this satisfied you…it's pretty long, compared to other chapters. Well, I think that some (Or maybe something more like two) of you will be happy to know that plot bunnies have been absolutely ATTACKING me lately! I can't wait to finish my current fics and move on…I hope to by the end of the summer. Well, at least this one…^^;; (Also, sorry about the cliff-hanger. ^^;; Please don't kill me…but if you do, I give my full permission to let someone take over this fanfiction. Preferably Kasumi-san or Nioko…)

-hazelwand


	7. Chapter Seven

Disclaimer: Refer to previous chapters.

Aratamete

Chapter Seven

            Eriol stared at the small, black device he held in his hand. "No," he thought desperately. "This can't be happening." He held the phone up to his ear again and listened tentatively. This was no time to overreact; he _needed_ to find out who she was and how…just, _how_.

            "Explain," he demanded, not the slightest bit of courtesy finding its way into his tone. He heard the woman on the other end give a low, husky laugh and his stomach twisted as if he had an infatuation gone wrong. [AN: For some reason, that sentence strikes me as funny…*shrugs*] Eriol could feel his skin tingling.

            "Explain?…What _is_ there to explain, my dear, beloved Clow?" For some odd reason, when the word _beloved_ reached Eriol's ears, he shivered with a strange sort of arousal. His deranged fascination quickly turned to anger.

            "Who are you to call me 'beloved', you…" he muttered a string of curse words, which appeared to have delighted the woman; she laughed.

            "I'm flattered you still think so highly of me," she said easily, annunciating every syllable so that Eriol wouldn't miss a key word or phrase. He didn't.

            "What do you mean, 'still'?" He asked, a tone of anxiety creeping into his voice. He was confused, something that didn't happen very often. Normally he was the one confusing, not the one being confused. It was a very unsettling experience; similar to one of taking a college exam and discovering you have a minute left, while staring at a question that just didn't _want_ to make sense. A sense of dread tickled his mind as he waited for her answer, his rapid intakes of breath magnified by the telephone. It seemed almost deafening.

            "Ah, all in due time, Eriol, all in due time…" he started to snap at her, but she continued with a perverse sort of fervor. "However, if you truly desire to know…you will meet me." She paused, and Eriol took this moment to attempt his retort.

            "Call me Eriol-san…_no, _Eriol- _sama_," he said, his voice burning yet freezing at the same moment. "…Wait; meet you?" The astonishment overrode his hate. She continued as if she hadn't heard a thing. Who knows, maybe she didn't.

            "…Or perhaps I will meet you…_Eriol._" Yes, she had heard him. She was spiting him; using just his first name for mockery.

            "What the hell-" But she had already hung up; or perhaps the line had been cut. Eriol thought the former.

            He sighed, and gently placed the phone back. It gave a small "_click"_ as it rested, contently, into its hold. Unlike the small black apparatus, however, Eriol was not content, and certainly not giving small clicking noises to portray his hypothetical contentment. He eased himself into his chair, and brought his head into his hands as his elbows rested on the small coffee table in front of him. The nimble fingers that ran through his hair gave him even more of an unruly hairstyle, making him seem a bit troubled rather than mystifying. And, three hours later, Tomoyo walked into the room with him still holding the same position…and atmosphere.

            Tomoyo's light footsteps caught Eriol's ears and she walked into the room. He glanced up, and she caught the gaze. Tomoyo felt a bit self-conscious for a moment, but shoved it away. "It's just Hiirigizawa-kun, the reincarnation of the most powerful sorcerer of all time. What's there to be nervous about?" She giggled, and Eriol's scrutinizing stare turned into an inquisitive one.

            "What's wrong?" He asked, pushing his troubles away. He'd get back to them later.

            Tomoyo just shook her head; giggles didn't suit the mood in the room. "Nothing," she said lightly. Then she continued: "…but I should be asking _you_ that, not the other way around. So I will." She walked over, suddenly feeling an urge to get close to him. The current aloofness of the sorcerer was somewhat stimulating. She bent over, and studied him much the way he had previously studied her. She then asked quietly, "What's wrong?"

            Eriol stilled, and he sat in silence briefly. "I was going to tell you, wasn't I," he sighed, speaking yet not speaking to Tomoyo. Eriol stood, and placed his hands on Tomoyo's shoulders. "Let's go."

            Tomoyo blinked as Eriol removed his hands and started walking away. "Where are we going?" She called, following him.

            Eriol smiled in spite of himself. "Where she can't find us…and where we won't be interrupted." Tomoyo blushed at the innuendo; even though it wasn't meant in the way her mind interpreted it.

            "Come on, Tomoyo, get a grip on yourself," She thought angrily.

            Tomoyo followed Eriol through a series of hallways until they stopped in front a door, just like the others except for the small symbols carved on the side of the plain doorknob. They entered, and she looked around confusedly. It wasn't anything special, dark red carpets and two navy, padded chairs- mini sofas. They were the only two articles of furniture (besides a small wooden table) in the entire room, and they were centered smack-dab in the middle of the room. There was an identical phone to the one in the other room, and a small silver laptop on the table. "Who would've thought a sorcerer would need a laptop," she thought absently. Suddenly, Eriol turned and stood facing her, his faces inches away. She gulped; she couldn't help it! The distance, of deficiency of, was disturbing.

            "Come." He told her, and sat on one of the chairs. She did the same.

            Eriol closed his eyes and his hand rubbed his chin, a strange habit he picked up when in deep thought. Without warning, his eyes snapped open and he leaned over to Tomoyo, their faces level. She was officially "freaked out" by now (for lack of better wording). Then, Eriol sighed and leaned back again, his face unreadable.

            "I don't know how to tell you this," he started, obviously having know idea what to do. He continued: "I suppose I might as well be blunt…but, tell me- have you…have you ever…_done_ something rather unusual when you were frightened, or mad, or…just, experiencing a negative emotion?" Eriol was stumbling over his words a bit. Explaining himself and events to Sakura was simple, but this was _Tomoyo._ A delicate flower. Eriol grimaced at that thought, he usually wasn't that sappy.

            'What has she done to me?' he thought desperately, his mind taken off of his spoken question.

            Tomoyo answered quietly. "I'm not quite sure what you're asking, but…" she hesitated, as if her answer would hurt him. "No, I don't think so." She paused. "Why do you ask, Hiirigizawa-kun?" Eriol grimaced, this was the part he was dreading most.

            "Because, my dear Daidouji-san," (Eriol was attempting to make his news lighter by the use of his pet name) "You're…you're an e- a magic user." 'Better to tell her she has magic first, and then dwell deeper,' he decided silently. Eriol started to watch and gauge Tomoyo's reaction. She was just sitting quietly, a lost sort of look in her eyes. Her face was emotionless, and seemed a bit two-dimensional; a piece of paper with the typical facial appendages painted on it. She was staring down at her hands, which were folded in her lap. Tomoyo seemed so small, Eriol thought. So…fragile.

            Tomoyo lifted her head at asked quietly, "what kind of magic user?" Her eyes didn't quite meet Eriol's as she spoke. Eriol sighed; 'of all the questions to ask,' he thought ruefully.

            "I'm not going to hide anything from you, Daidouji-san." Tomoyo winced at the formal name, even though it was his custom- and he had never called her anything else. She felt that he should call her- no, no. Tomoyo quickly rid the thought. Like _that_ would ever happen. Eriol continued. "I will not protect you from the truth."

            Tomoyo shivered. Why was he saying this as if someone was dying?

            "You're an emossion."

            Wait. _What?_ "What the hell is that?" Tomoyo asked, mirroring her thoughts. Eriol seemed a bit taken aback at her use of profanity. He'd never heard her curse before.

            "It's a type of magic user. Not much is known about them yet, but as their name seems to have combined the words "emotion" and "passion", their magic has something to do with their sensations or emotions at a given time. I have reason to believe that their so to speak "power" is not only physical representations of their feelings, but their actual emotions materialized. Of course, I have had no one to test my theories on before now; you, I believe, are the first emossion in a while. So I could be wrong, remember."

            "In a while…? What do you consider a while?"

            "Generally, a few hundred years. Give or take a century or so…in this case, take." Eriol said this easily. Tomoyo, on the other hand, felt a bit faint.

            "They- we're that rare?"

            "No." Eriol caught Tomoyo's confused expression, and raised a hand to stop further inquiries. "I shall explain later. Now, you need rest. This is a lot to absorb in such a brief time, and…" he hesitated. "…And I'm proud of you, Tomoyo-san." 

            Eriol watched as Tomoyo's face lit up, delighted with his riddance of formality. "You may call me Tomoyo on one condition…may I call you by your first name, also?" This, of course, wasn't said without a significant amount of blushing. Eriol smiled kindly, already having made up his mind hours ago.

            "Of course."

            "Then, Eriol-kun," –Eriol couldn't help but blush- "I agree to rest now. Y' know, you should, too."

            "Hai, Tomoyo-san…or should I say mother?" Tomoyo whacked the back of his head playfully.

            "Oh, just shut up, baka." She smiled happily, and walked out of the room. "Oyasumi nasai! See you in the morning!"

            Eriol just returned the grin, and once she had headed out, he collapsed on his chair in relief. Soon, he was in deep sleep, breathing softly. Even the ominous sound of the mirror dropping out of his pocket and cracking upon its impact with the floor didn't wake him up.

            Unfortunately.

AN: Sorry for the (in my opinion) bad quality of this chapter. I thought it was a bit…er…ARGH! I can't even think af a good adjective to describe it. Probably fatigue. Now back to business…Well, um…it's my birthday today! (July 21). So, could you give me a review? (I'm so shameless. ^^;;) Please? It would be a great present! ^_^

Next chapter: Bad news…of course. ^^;; Climax coming soon; not sure whether it'll be next chapter or the one after. (Wow, this fic is almost over…*sob*)

--hazelwand


	8. Chapter Eight

AN: Just a small note- confusion is inevitable in this fic. It's also a mystery, but I figured supernatural would be better to put as the secondary genre. It should come clear soon…although, you also might get more confused soon, too. If, after the end, there's still a bit of confusion, I'll make a small "explanation" chapter, answering questions and just reviewing the whole story. Stuff like that…Oh. I've been trying to figure out how many chapters are left if this…Roughly (if my plans all work out), there will be about three more chapters after this one, then an epilogue. This is, of course, assuming that I don't have a hard time with…er, a _certain aspect_ of the climax and such. ^~ And, who knows? Maybe there'll only be 2 chapters and an epilogue…*shrugs* Just giving my readers a general idea.

Disclaimer: Refer to previous chapters.

Aratamete

Chapter Eight

            Tomoyo groaned and rolled over on her side. 'Why can't I get to sleep?' She asked herself, only half-rhetorically. 'I should be exhausted…" Her eyes sleepily lifted to meet the glowing digits on her clock. One thirty-six AM. Tomoyo swore violently (quite unusual for her), and threw her sheets off. Not bothering to put on a pair of slippers, she crept down the hall.

            As she traveled down the dark corridor, Tomoyo heard a rustling sound coming from the room in which Eriol had…no, no, no. Don't think of that now, it'll give you nightmares; Tomoyo admonished herself. She eased the door open just enough for her head and shoulders to fit through. Peeking into the room, she saw a form tossing and turning in the chair in which she had seen Eriol last.

            "Why so restless tonight?" She murmured, knowing that Eriol couldn't hear her. "God, you just collapsed in the chair, didn't you?" Tomoyo felt a smile forming on her lips involuntarily as she quietly watched her guest.

            "T-Tomoyo…" The just mentioned gasped softly. 'He's dreaming…about me?' Tomoyo scooted a bit closer to the chair and watched him intently. She jerked back as turned toward her, half-expecting his eyes to fly open.

            "No…not her…anything but her…" Eriol moaned, and butterflies rose in Tomoyo's stomach. She waited, hardly breathing, hardly noticing anything besides him. Eriol's face screwed into an expression she had never seen before, not in all her life. She couldn't describe it in words; saying it was as if someone was dying barely gave one the tip of the iceberg. Then, his face hardened into an even more unreadable expression; but this one was not as heart-wrenching. Various emotions disappeared off his features, replaced by a look of some type of _indifference_…possibly even hatred, Tomoyo decided. If it was even possible for Eriol to hate that much.

            Suddenly, Eriol started thrashing about in the chair, somehow preventing himself from falling onto the floor. It was almost graceful, though violent it was. Tomoyo, even further surprised, took a step back. She felt something pierce the skin of her foot, and she instantly regretted not putting slippers on. Bending down, though still keeping her eyes trained on Eriol so that he was encountered in her peripheral vision, she examined the floor. A flash of light caught her eye, and her brow furrowed. Picking the object up, she discovered that it was a shard of reflective glass- a piece of a mirror. Running a finger over the edge of the splinter of glass, she tensed as it cut her finger. Although she couldn't see very well, she felt the blood on her finger; she supposed it was a small, thin cut; like a slice.

            "Oh," she murmured. Tomoyo sucked on the cut to temporarily stop the blood flow while she looked for a tissue. Feeling her way around in the dark, she tried to locate a tissue box. The mirror shard glimmered again, and Tomoyo drew her eyebrows together.

            "Wait a minute," she muttered. Where was the light coming from? It was nearly pitch black…not nearly light enough for a mirror to reflect anything. She spun around and frowned. Nothing. Then…a flash! Like a little spark; it was small, but noticeable enough when facing it. Tomoyo backed up to the chair, facing the corner of the room. 'Maybe it's one of Eriol-kun's magic things…'

            Then- the spark of light again! Tomoyo stared curiously at the other end of the room. She edged closer to the light, which was now shining continuously. 

            She hardly had time for her face to register an expression of astonishment as a cloaked figure stepped up behind her, and put a thin but firm hand over her mouth. Suddenly, she felt a wave of nausea and she slipped into a cover of darkness…as the figure slipped into a cover of darkness also: the night.

            The following morning: six seventeen A.M.

            As Eriol awoke, he noticed a couple things wrong. One; the window was open. Two; his mirror was on the floor, in pieces. Three; a lamp had been knocked over. And, four; he had a sense of something that could not quite have been identified as 'impending doom'- but was just as unsettling.

            Eriol's breath quickened as he practically fell off the chair. "Ow," he muttered as he rubbed his head indignantly. "…Hey. What's this?" Eriol picked up and fingered a shard of mirror that was strangely far away from the rest of the pieces. "Odd." 

Eriol's brow furrowed as he noticed a bit of dark red coloring on the edge. 'Hm… Rust?' He turned the piece of glass over and a sharp corner of it poked his finger. "Damn!" He held his injured finger up and examined it. "S'pose I should put some antiseptic on it." Pinching his finger, Eriol walked out of the door to go get a band-aid from the bathroom at the end if the hall. 'Well, this is a definite upside to staying in one's old home,' he mused. 'I know where everything is.'

As he walked by Tomoyo's room, Eriol noticed that the door was slightly open- unusual, because Tomoyo liked leaving her door closed whilst sleeping. Eriol just shrugged and continued his trek down the dark corrior. He passed Tomoyo's room, and this time couldn't help but check on her. Upon finding her bed empty and her sheets only half on the mattress, Eriol raised his eyebrows and returned to the hall, closing Tomoyo's door behind him. 'She's probably awake already.' Eriol shrugged, and walked down to the kitchen. "Not here, also…and it doesn't look like she has been." He chuckled silently to himself. 'No dirty dishes piled on the counter- yet!' Then his serious demeanor returned. 'Where the hell is she? …Maybe she went in the garden.' Eriol returned to the room in which he slept in and leaned out the window. 'No- not in the garden, either.'

            Wondering and worrying, Eriol sat back down into the chair. Reluctantly suspicious of the broken mirror, open window, and the over-turned lamp, Eriol felt his heart sinking.

Eriol, you know you must not disregard a rather likely theory just because you don't want it to be true.

'Oh, great- another battle against my conscience.'__

_This is no time for wise cracks, young one._

'I'm just as old as you!'

_…Well, enough of that. Back to business._

'HA!'

_Yes. Well. Laugh all you want, because you won't be laughing soon. Tomoyo is gone; she may very well have been taken hostage by an enemy or something of similar nature._

'…I know that…I know that it's a possibility…but-but I don't want to believe it.'__

_Eriol, it is you duty to assume the worst. She has powers that she isn't even aware of. Tomoyo is potentially dangerous! She has no idea how control her abilities!_

'True. But her powers won't show unless-'

_Eriol, you need not tell me information I already know. It's my job to tell **you** information that **you** don't know._

'…I AM going insane. It must be the stress.'

_Eriol, this is completely unlike you- to not 'expect the unexpected', as Keroberos-san often says. You're in denial._

'I am NOT in denial!… And stop saying my name of the beginning of every sentence!'

_…And you never get this angry so easily. You **are **in denial, and of two things._

'What two things, Oh-Wise-One?'

_No need to be so cynical._

            'Just tell me, damn it!'

            _The first I shall. The second…Oh, dear, this is sounding way too much like a cheesy drama with a strange disembodied voice slash conscience._

'You're telling me.'

            _Oh, well…Ah, alas- I digress. The first is- you are in denial of the fact that Tomoyo could and very well **could be **in danger._

            'No!…'

            _The second, you must figure out on your own. …Say, who the hell writes this?_

'I don't know. Some teenage girl with nothing better to do than manipulate her favorite characters of a popular anime.'

_            I see._

            '…Um. The second thing…why can't you just tell me?'

            _Because you must realize it by yourself. If you are not capable of realizing it and accepting it, then you are not worthy of it._

            '…This is SO pathetic.'

            _I agree._

AN: ^^ I had fun writing that last part… "Alas, I digress"-special thanks to Miss Nioko, who helped me get through my writer's block. She also typed a bit of this chapter, and afterwards I slightly revised it. See if you can guess which part she [mostly] did. ^~ Thanks, Noko-chan!

--hazelwand


	9. Chapter Nine

AN: I'm glad people liked the last bit of chapter eight. I liked it too. And…now, the news! After Aratamete has been completed (should be by the beginning of September), I'm going to be writing a sequel to my most beloved fic _Red_. There are going to probably be, at most, four or so readers and two reviewers. But- I'm going to do it anyway! ^^ I'm already working on the first chapter- look for it after Aratamete is finished! [Hoe= Sakura's "patented" phrase. Something she says when flustered, scared, or confused. It's really quite kawaii. ^^]

Disclaimer: Refer to previous chapters.

Aratamete

Chapter Nine

"Now, Eriol. Now is the right time- just reach the right place… 

_            "And I'll be waiting."_

            ~

            "Konnichiwa, Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura sang into the telephone as she held it to her ear. Ah, the wonders of Caller ID. But to Sakura's astonishment, the voice that answered was not at all like her best friend's.

            "Hello, Sakura-san. This is Eriol." A deep yet clear voice said amusedly. Yet, there was a slight catch in his voice- a tiny glitch that one couldn't quite grasp because you weren't sure what was the cause- faulty hearing (not likely), bad reception (the most likely, at least when Eriol is the one in question), or the person himself.

            "Eriol-kun?! What are you doing over there?"

            "Well, I just popped in for a visit. Did you know that Tomoyo-chan had renovated- and moved into- my manor?" Eriol asked lightly, not wanting to get down to business yet. He would rather him tell them face-to-face anyways. It would be better with both Sakura and his cute little descendant- also Sakura's fiancé- there.

            "Yes, I- hoe?" Apparently, Sakura hadn't changed one bit in ten years.

            "What is it?"

            Sakura gripped the phone tightly. "You called her Tomoyo-chan!"

            "…And?" Eriol spoke smoothly, knowing an interrogation was in order.

            "You've never been so informal…and from "Daidouji-san" to "Tomoyo-chan"? That's a big jump, Eriol-kun- especially for you!"

            Eriol shrugged and grinned, even though Sakura couldn't see him. "We've gotten to be pretty good friends. And I gave her a bit of a shock last night, too," he said. Eriol was easing into the point of this conversation slowly. Unfortunately, he could practically hear the gears in the Card Mistress' head turning.

            "A shock? Last night? Hoeee!"

            Eriol's eyes widened. "It isn't what you think! It's just…I made a rather critical discovery and I felt Tomoyo-chan should be the first to know." 'Though I _did_ give her "a bit of a shock" that morning,' he mused.

            "There you go with the "Tomoyo-chan" again," Sakura teased. Eriol sighed audibly into the phone.

            "Sakura-san, it's not what you think. Tomoyo-chan and I have absolutely no romantic attachments." 'As much as I would like to,' he added silently.

            "But you would like to," Sakura persisted.

            "Perhaps," Eriol let himself admit. Then he changed the subject quickly. "But I called to talk about Tomoyo-chan, not about me."

            Sakura giggled. "What about her?" She asked coyly.

            "This isn't a laughing- or teasing- matter, Sakura-san. It is of the utmost importance that you and my dear little descendant come here as soon as possible." Eriol said quietly.

            Sakura's tone and attitude immediately changed. "What's wrong? Has something happened to Tomoyo?" She asked worriedly.

            "I won't lie to you…something has happened, and it certainly isn't…it's not exactly what one would call good news."

            _Now that's the exaggeration of the century._

'Oh, shut up.' Eriol thought, irritated at his Clow-ish conscience.

            _By the way-_ _smooth, my friend. Very smooth._

'What?'

            _You're handling this very well, considering the girl you've fallen in love with has disappeared…oh, about that. You really aren't dense at all. Sorry 'bout my saying that. I s'pose you just needed a bit of a push, that's all._

'Er…bloody hell, get out of my head!'

            _Sorry, no can do. Believe me, I wish I could. But you see, our beloved author here has become quite taken with me. Developed an acute fondness, she has._

            'Wonderful. …Wait. She _is_ currently sane while writing this, right?'

            _Well, she's often said that either she's insane and the world's sane; or she's sane and the world's insane. Take your pick._

'…Help.'

            _I have empathy for you, my friend. Really- I do._

            "Eriol-kun?" Sakura's voice broke Eriol's- and his inner Clow's- thoughts. "What do you mean?"

            He sighed. "Just come, Sakura-san. And bring my little descendant. I need all the help I can get." And, without another word, Eriol put the phone back in its cradle softly.

            Immediately, he sprung into action, grabbed his dark blue cloak and staff, and then went outside- slamming the door behind him much harder than was necessary. He looked up at the sky; the sun had long since risen but all Eriol could see was a bright but hazy orb- the fog was moving in, and quickly. He narrowed his eyes, and then slowly closed them. Bringing the fore and middle fingers together but curving the rest of his hand into a fist, he held his palm out in front of him. After about 30 seconds, his eyes slowly opened and he grinned. The second the smile had reached his eyes, Eriol disappeared- leaving not a trace.

            ~

            Kinomoto Sakura –soon to be Li Sakura- sighed quietly and gently put the telephone down. Determined not to cry, she closed her eyes, pulling Syaoran's aura closer to her; knowing that he could feel her pull. Seconds later, a deep, soothing voice filled her mind.

            "Sakura? What's the matter, cherry blossom?"

            "I-I just received a disturbing call f-from Eriol-kun!" Her wall broke and she sobbed quietly, hiccupping every so often.

            Syaoran's "voice" now seemed ten times as concerned. "What's happened? Is it something to do with the cards?"

            "N-no…" she hiccupped. "He says that something has happened to Tomoyo-chan!" A tear silently slid down her face.

            "Daidouji-chan?" Syaoran's voice was filled with astonishment. "How…how does he know?"

            "He was visiting her…and he just said that something had happened that 'one wouldn't exactly call good news'. That was his exact wording! Oh, Tomoyo-chan!"

            Syaoran was silent for a while. Then he spoke: "do you feel something?"

            "Syaoran! This isn't the time for games!"

            "No, I'm serious. I feel another aura pulling me… a dark blue one. Do you feel it?"

            This time, Sakura was silent. But she didn't say anything, so Syaoran took this as a yes.

            "It's Hiirigizawa-kun's. He's pulling us. Let's go." And Syoaran's voice no longer filled her mind as she felt his aura become further away…as she disappeared also.

            ~

            Eriol clenched his jaw as he took in his surroundings. A junkyard. How very fitting. There were numerous broken appliances, clusters of dumpsters, and a pile of wrecked cars. An unidentifiable stench filled the air, and Eriol scowled.

            'I hope everyone's gotten their Tetanus shot recently,' he joked to himself, wanting to lighten his mood but inevitable failing.

            Soon, he felt two more auras arriving, but not those of Tomoyo and her captor [AN: No pun intended!]. Sakura and Syaoran had quietly appeared beside Eriol, and they stood with him for a long time; just observing their surroundings.

            "Hello, Hiirigizawa-kun." Syaoran's voice broke the silence.

            "Do not waste time on formalities," Eriol said. "Tomoyo-chan's been taken hostage." His bluntness and sudden admittance took both of his companion's by surprise. Sakura gasped and cried softly.

            "Oh, Tomoyo-chan!"

            Syaoran raised his eyebrows in contemplation Eriol's usage of Tomoyo's first name and the suffix "chan", but decided not to comment. Now was not the time. "By whom?" He demanded.

            Eriol just sighed and said, "Who? I don't know. I have my suspicions…but we won't know for sure." He suddenly paused and his eyes became unfocused. After minutes of deafening silence, he said, "Yes. It is she. And…she's coming." Suddenly, he gave a startled noise and Sakura's eyes betrayed even more fright. She had never seen Eriol so tense and wounded, emotionally or physically. Not even when he gave her the Last Test.

            Eriol now spoke in such a soft voice that both Sakura and Syaoran- who had extraordinary hearing- had to strain their ears to hear. "No- she's not coming…

            "She's here."

  
  


            AN: Next chapter- the climax!… And then the epilogue. ^_^ Stay tuned! (Oh, how cheesy. -__-;;) Erk. Hmm…I don't really like how this chapter turned out, but oh well. ^^;; Somehow, I think I could've done better. (By the way- gomen for the horrible cliffhanger. I'll try to get the next chapter out as fast as I got this one…I don't think it'll happen, though. ^^ But keep on the lookout!)

            --hazelwand


	10. Chapter Ten

AN: Climax. ^_^ I'm pretty sure that this is the last chapter…then the epilogue…but we'll see. …Oh, and I see many of you are starting to discover my rather evil side. ^_^ I've been told by many that I'm rather like Eriol- including an online "personality test". But, what can I say? *smiles benignly*

Kasumi-san: Yes, Eriol is so much worse than Tomoyo's bodyguards! ^_^ Thanks for your comments- they inspire me a lot.

Everyone else: Heh!! Thanks for the comments, and the death threats. I work well under pressure.  

Disclaimer: Refer to previous chapters.

Aratamete

Chapter Ten

            Sakura and Syaoran glanced sharply at Eriol. He stood still, his eyes calm. Somehow, he seemed at peace with himself- and that's what scared Sakura so much.

            'No one should be so calm in a moment like this.' She narrowed her eyes. 'I'm certainly not! It's like…like he has nothing to lose and everything to gain…' Her thoughts stopped abruptly when Eriol turned unexpectedly to face them.

            "You can back out, you know. I won't lie to you- this opponent is more than likely twice as strong as I. Of course, we outnumber her-" his eyes flickered for a moment, but then returned to the soothing blue, "-but this is one of those cases where on must 'expect the unexpected'. Never underestimate.

            "And…you might not come out of this fight al-" Eriol stopped abruptly. "-Unscathed."

            Syaoran unconsciously scooted closer to his fiancé and wrapped an arm securely around her small waist. Eriol felt his eyes burn at the simple gesture, but blinked once and the soon-to-be tears were extinguished. He smiled wearily at the pair, and, for the first time, Sakura caught a glimpse of Clow in him- he looked older beyond his years; a man haunted by the past that he never lived. She spoke quietly.

            "Alive, you mean?" Syaoran's eyes narrowed as he looked down upon her. She felt her heart in her throat as Eriol smiled benevolently…at least, his mouth curled upward in a benevolent smile. Sakura shivered under his piercing- almost sympathetic- gaze.

            "Yes." Syaoran pulled Sakura closer to him, and she relished the contact. She was shocked, though- she thought he would deny it, but here he was- just saying a simple "yes" to such a crucial question. Eriol noticed her eyes widen and he chuckled a bit.

            "There's no use in denial. It always comes back to you." Then, his mind caught up with his mouth- _no use in denial_…_it always comes back to you_… 'I already admitted it!' he yelled silently. 'Stop badgering me!'

            _Yes, but think of this- if **Tomoyo** asked you, would you admit it? _His conscience was being, for once, gentle.

            '…No. I s'pose I wouldn't, would I?'

            _Then you're still in a type of denial- you don't want to admit it to anyone who plays a crucial role._

            Eriol eyes narrowed, and Sakura giggled despite the situation. "Ironic, isn't it?" She said coyly.

            Eriol shot a mock glare toward her. "You'll be doing this 'till the end, won't you?" He asked rhetorically. That shut Sakura up. Eriol sighed. "I can't help being blunt. Gomen." But he wasn't really sorry.

            Syaoran just shot a confused look at Sakura and she shook her head as if to say "tell you later".

            "…But there might not be a later," he said softly. Sakura looked up at him, and kissed him gently, to comfort him. It would've worked, if Eriol hadn't at that moment gotten into a battle stance and gripped his staff tightly.

            "Get ready!" He shouted, and Syaoran immediately let go of Sakura and stood in front of her, also getting into a battle stance. Sakura just whispered softly to her staff and put a hand near her pocket, ready to pull out a card. The air seemed to shiver slightly as a tall form slowly started to appear, like she was "gathering" herself in one spot, slowly coming into focus.

            "Who is this again?" Sakura asked Eriol softly.

            "I never told you in the first place…Clow's sister. Salanor. Actually, her reincarnation." Sakura opened her mouth to say more, but Eriol stopped her.

            "Don't," he said. "Just wait." So the Card Mistress moved to Syaoran's side instead of behind him, and watched. Syaoran just glared at her; warning her. She ignored him. Eriol just raised his eyebrows and chuckled, taking his eyes off of the quivering air and misty form in front of him for a couple seconds. Then he turned back to what he felt his attention should've been on. His eyes became unreadable; they almost looked bored. Then- amazingly- the figure spoke.

            "So glad you came."

            Sakura's eyes widened. 'I-I recognize that voice!'

            Salanor- of rather, her reincarnation, but we shall call her Salanor- was becoming clearer and clearer. Her long, golden brown hair flowed behind her as she took a step closer. Now, she had a physical form, rather than a shimmering figure. She was now directly in front of Eriol, staring straight into his eyes. They were the same height. Eriol just stood and met her gaze, but suddenly, he was hit with an unseen force. He stumbled back, but lifted his head again to glare at her.

            His heart nearly stopped.

            Now that he had a clear view of her, now that he saw her full figure…he glanced at his two companions. They were both staring, their mouths slightly parted. Syaoran was scowling, and Sakura was shaking her head, silently begging for it to be untrue.

            Salanor was the splitting image of Kaho Mizuki…she _was_ Kaho Mizuki.

            Eriol's eyes hardened. "Explain!" He demanded, his heart pounding a mile per minute- and he wasn't completely sure it was because of the terrifying situation they were in. Salanor- or Kaho- just laughed. Eriol's was shocked- she sounded so different.

            "Yes, I should explain, shouldn't I? All the more fun…" She grinned. "Kaho's always been me. I've always been her."

            "What do you mean?!"

            "Unlike you, Eriol, Kaho and I are two different identities. Clow is, shall we say, _melded_ into you. Your appearance reflects it. But you aren't Clow- you're Eriol, half of Clow's reincarnation…but all yourself. Do you see now?" Her voice was surprisingly gentle.

            "No."

            Salanor sighed. "Kaho isn't my reincarnation the way you are Clow's. We're separate. We can switch. It's more of a control question. Instead of being "homogenous" within her, like Clow is within you, we're divided." She smiled. "Kaho never knew that she was my reincarnation. I lay dormant within her. See, right now, she's screaming at me to let her go. But I can't. I'm a still part of her, although we are separate. She wouldn't exist without me!"

            A silence came over the group. Salanor smiled and nodded, satisfied. "You understand."

            Sakura spoke quietly. " Why won't you let Mizuki-sensei go?"

            Salanor's eyes became enraged as she snarled. "None of your business! But, let me tell you this- she's not coming back. You can't get her back! And she knows it!" Then she smirked and looked directly at Eriol. "And, the ironic thing is…you'll have to kill her to kill me."

            _She's right, Eriol._

'Go away! I'm a bit busy right now!'

            _You** must** kill Salanor, Eriol! She can't be left alive! Kaho-san won't be coming back, anyway!_

'Call her Mizuki-san,' Eriol mumbled to his Clow conscience.

            _Good. You're distancing yourself. _Eriol could literally feel his conscience smile.

            'No. I'm not. She just isn't Kaho-san, Kaho-chan, or just Kaho to me now! I'm…I'm…'

            _…I'll be going now. Good luck._

'Wait!' Eriol mentally cried, but he got no response. 'Great, just when I really need him!' He fumed.

            "I know,' he said coldly to Salanor. "And I'll do it." 'Kaho would understand,' he reasoned with himself.

            She grinned. "Well, then- let's see." And, without a moment's hesitation, she lunged. Eriol's eyes shot open and he yelled a couple words that Sakura nor Syaoran couldn't catch. A bright purple glow surrounded Salanor and she stopped in midair. Then, she tilted her head, and smiled cutely. At once, the strange glow was gone and she floated down to the ground. Eriol took a step back, unable to hide his astonishment. Suddenly, a burst of fire came out of nowhere, but instantly disintegrated upon reaching Salanor's outstretched hand. Eriol could hear Sakura's gasps. She had put a lot of power into that attack…

            'Clow magic won't work,' Eriol realized. He slapped himself. 'Damn it! Why didn't I recognize it before?' He turned and yelled, "Li! NOW! Clow

s magic won't work on her! She's his sister!"

            Syaroran immediately understood, and shouted his incantation. The wind moved toward her, but blew right past. She stood, unfazed. "Is that the best you've got?" Salanor sneered, and waved her hand carelessly. Syaoran rose into the air, and was flung backwards into a broken car. A new dent appeared in it where he hit the car, and his head bowed forward. Syaoran was unconscious.

            "Syaoran!" Sakura cried, and ran over to help her fiancé. Before she reached him, though, she too was flung into the air. A second later, she was slumped on top of him, also knocked out.

            Salanor sighed and rubbed her hands together. "Now that those two are out of the way…let's get down to business." Eriol stared at her, and then a thought occurred to him.

            "Where's Tomoyo?" He demanded.

            Salanor raised her eyebrows, shocked- but trying to hide it. "You mean, Daidouji-san?" Eriol gazed at her, shocked, but fully realizing her implications.

            "No. Tomoyo." Salanor took a step back, then smiled kindly- the smile, though- it was Kaho's. Not Salanor's. Eriol felt his spirits lift, but then the smile disappeared.            "Don't know how she got control…" Salanor muttered. "Oh, well. Doesn't matter. Now, Tomoyo-"

            "Call her "Daidouji-san"!" Eriol yelled, enraged. Salanor smirked.

            "Temper, Eriol."

            "Just tell me where she is!" He yelled again. Eriol was strongly being reminded of his conversations with her on the telephone.

            "She's…not with me. But if you want her-" Salanor paused. "- I can easily arrange it." But without waiting for an answer, the air shimmered- and Tomoyo appeared. She looked tired, but had a strange inner glow. Eriol gasped. 

            "She's-"

            "Yes, she's starting to discover her powers." Salanor completed Eriol sentence. "I gave her a bit of a…push." She smiled sadistically.

            "NANI?!" Eriol shot a deadly glare at Salanor- something he'd never done before. She just shrugged nonchalantly.

            "It worked, didn't it?"

            Eriol didn't answer; he just ran over to Tomoyo's side. She was barely standing. "Are you okay, Tomoyo-chan?"

            Tomoyo smiled weakly. "I'm not that easy to get rid of, y'know."

            Eriol just stared, then he laughed. Laughed his frustrations, anger, tears, and latent emotions away. Laughed until he could laugh no more…

            And then- the tears started running down his face. Tomoyo just looked on, speechless, and Eriol sobbed and buried his face in the crook of her neck. She felt his warm arms wrap around her tightly, she felt her torn shirt becoming damp at the shoulder…she felt her heart expanding, and her chest as light as air; yet as heavy as rock. She closed her eyes, and just breathed softly. In and out. Exhale and inhale. Breathe; live; love- those were the only things that mattered to her now.

AN: Yes, yes- you're confused. Just think of it as Salanor controlling Kaho, after being "dormant" inside her for a while. Kaho was born with Salanor inside of her; after all, she _is_ her reincarnation. Now, one more chapter and then the epilogue. In the next chapter: Salanor and Eriol have their final showdown, but something unexpected- or, possibly expected- happens. Look for it soon! I'm on a roll!

            --hazelwand


	11. Chapter Eleven

AN: Okay. This will be the last chapter until the epilogue. Definitely. (Warning- a bit of a tearjerker at some parts.)

Shadowscribe: I am SO glad you aren't confused. That makes one of us…just kidding. ^~ Well, I'm _also_ pleased you're hooked, because so am I!

Kasumi: Yes, it is ironic, isn't it? (BTW, I forgot to say this: that line is roughly the same as one from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's (Sorcerer's) Stone. I didn't mean to (kind of) quote it; I just realized afterwards that I did. ^^;;) I'm also gratified that you liked how I handled the Kaho/Eriol conflict.

Disclaimer: Refer to previous chapters. 

Aratamete

Chapter Eleven

            As the tears stopped pouring down Eriol face, he clumsily stepped away from Tomoyo and whispered a "sorry," to her while nervously eyeing her sleeve, which was slightly damp at the shoulders. She just shook her head gently.

            "It's fine," she said soothingly. "The shirt's all torn anyways." Tomoyo gave Eriol a genuine smile, her first in hours. Eriol weakly returned the smile; they had both momentarily forgotten about their current predicament. He then brought a hand to his cheek, and quickly wiped away the tears while rubbing his face.

            "It feels so strange," he murmured. "The after-effect of crying, I mean. My face feels so tight…" He said whilst scrunching his nose. Tomoyo didn't respond, and he looked at her inquiringly. She was staring at some not-so-far-off object; Eriol followed her gaze, and his eyes landed upon the limp form of Sakura and Syaoran. Reacting upon instinct, he wrapped his arms around her again, and held her tightly- but this time, he wasn't the one who needed comfort. Tomoyo just stood still, and eventually, gently pushed Eriol away.

            "I'm fine. We-we need to finish this," she said, removing her gaze on her two friends and placing it upon Salanor. Eriol was slightly hurt, but understood. So he just nodded his assent.

            But, before either of them made any move, Eriol whispered tentatively, "I missed you, you know. For a while, I thought I would never see you again…" Tomoyo glanced quickly at him, and then opened her mouth to speak- but at that moment, a soft blue glow enveloped her. Eriol panicked, knowing what would happen next- and she _couldn't_ become unconscious; Eriol needed her- both physically and mentally. Salanor wasn't affected by Clow magic, and Syaoran's attacks simply weren't strong enough to do any real damage. Tomoyo's magic had the potential to be more powerful than either Syaoran or Sakura could imagine… "_Had the potential." _Eriol wasn't sure if she was strong enough yet; or could control her magic enough- but he had to take the risk. If he didn't, then they would inevitably die…but if he did, they at least had a chance…

            Not even taking a second's hesitation, he (literally) threw himself in front of Tomoyo right before she was flung onto the ground. The result was her landing directly on top of him, he providing an impromptu cushion for her. Eriol winced as he propped himself up, first examining Tomoyo before himself.  Her eyes were fluttering; that was a good sign. She emitted a soft groan and slowly stood up, looking concernedly at Eriol who was pressing a palm to the back of his arm, trying desperately to stop the bleeding. He tried to stand up also, but immediately cried out in pain and collapsed…but he was still alive and conscious.

            "Oh, god, no…" she whispered, horrified, barely aware of Salanor laughing in the background. His side was bleeding profusely; it was twice as bad as his arm- and probably ten times as painful.

            She dropped to her knees and tore off both her sleeves. Tomoyo tied them together and then tightly but gently wrapped the fabric around Eriol's side. He looked embarrassed to be the injured one now, and he quietly muttered his thanks as he once again attempted to stand. It didn't work. Tomoyo sighed and gently pressed him down to the ground. "I think you have a couple broken ribs on your right side," She told him softly. "Don't make them worse. …I can take Salanor all by myself; don't worry!" She smiled calmly at him, and Eriol was surprised at that. He made a desperate move to run his fingers through her thick hair, and his fingertips had barely touched her mane of rich, dark tresses when he gave a muffled cry and immediately retracted his hand. 

Tomoyo looked at him, her quiet smile changing into a worried frown. "I said to not make it worse," she scolded him gently. She got up- albeit a bit tediously- and walked with light steps over to Salanor, her opponent.

"Ready?" She asked with, once again, a calm smile. Salanor just scowled angrily; her temper rising every minute that Tomoyo wasn't scared or worried.

"Don't give me that bull," she snarled. "You don't have a chance! You have no idea how to control your powers, you have no idea _what your powers even are!"_ Salanor chattered uncontrollably, not remembering that Tomoyo wasn't the person to say this to…

A wild look crossed Tomoyo's features but was immediately doused. 'You can't get riled up,' she told herself. 'You can't control your powers yet…you have no idea what would happen if you got mad or sad or…' her thoughts stopped as she realized that her opponent had stopped rambling, and was looking at Tomoyo with a furrowed brow. Tomoyo returned the look, puzzled. Salanor grinned- she had Tomoyo's attention. She slowly and deliberately swiveled her head; she was now looking at Eriol, who was watching the "action" intently. He blinked upon seeing that Salanor had her eyes fixed upon him, and shivered involuntarily.

"The perfect opportunity," Salanor announced with a sadistic grin. Eriol and Tomoyo's eyes widened.            

"No," Tomoyo whispered in a pleading tone. "No."

Salanor's grin was ever-so present as she said, "Yes, yes!" And with that, she held out her hand and made a fist, grunting a bit in concentration. A small, flickering red light gradually became visible, and her fist opened then clenched the ball of light in her palm. Thin streams of light escaped between her fingers as she paused. Then, she threw it straight towards Eriol.

Tomoyo didn't even bother to breathe as she cried out, shaking her head violently with tears running wild. "ERIOL!…"

The small red ball hit him right in the chest…and then- a blinding light. Once Tomoyo would see again…all that she saw was Eriol's limp form, lying chest-down on the dirty ground; his cape draped over him like a dark blanket of sorrow. Tomoyo couldn't stop her tears as she screamed…and screamed…and screamed…

As Tomoyo's eyes were shut tight, she didn't notice that Salanor bringing her hand up to her throat, and desperately clawing at it. Salanor let out a muffled shriek, which instantly turned into a hacking cough- she was choking. Tomoyo's eyes opened, with water from tears still running down her face, and looked with wide eyes at her foe. Salanor was convulsing- being strangled by an unseen force. The dark-haired emossion- Tomoyo- knew what was happening.

Tomoyo narrowed her eyes, and with one swift, enraged motion, brought her hand into a tight fist- her knuckles white, her nails digging into her pale skin. She held the fist out triumphantly in front of her, and watched the defeated Salanor. The amber-eyed sorceress suddenly stilled…she was unable to move her legs…now her hands…Oh, yes- she _also_ knew what was happening; she was dying.

Tomoyo watched with an emotionless countenance. Death was slowly creeping into her opponent, invading every nook and cranny. Abruptly Salanor's expression also went blank- and then, with her last dying breath, Kaho spoke in _her_ gentle voice.

"Thank you." And Kaho smiled _her _smile; one that made people feel as if they were floating. Tomoyo just gazed with regret-filled eyes as Kaho fell gracefully to the ground, a peaceful smile still gracing her face. The emossion would have shed more tears for Kaho's sake; but none would come. It was as if she couldn'_t, wouldn't_, cry anymore.

'I killed her,' Tomoyo thought sadly, her uncontrolled moment over. 'Me.' She knew that Kaho understood; but the fact that she had ended a life clung to her like drenched clothing. She just couldn't control herself- some other force was controlling her for those thirty-some seconds that mattered so much. Bowing her head, she gave her last respects to her previous mentor; Sakura's savior; Syaoran's helper (in a way); and Eriol's lover- as well as loved.

Tomoyo watched quietly as Kaho's body faded, leaving not even a trace. Turning slowly, she walked without emotion to Eriol's body. She was aware of the burning feeling in her eyes again, but then felt the burning sensation quickly subside. Kneeling next to him, she took his staff in her hands. It was still warm. Tomoyo smiled miserably.

She took a sharp intake of breath as she heard footsteps behind her, and whirled around, still on her knees. 'It's only Sakura-chan and Li-kun,' she thought with relief. Tomoyo forced her expression to look neutral. "Glad to see you're awake," she said to the pair. They just glanced at one other, not knowing what to say.

"Tomoyo-chan…" Sakura murmured. Tomoyo just looked back at Eriol, hiding her face.

"How much did you see?" Tomoyo asked, her voice cracking a bit.

"Enough." Syaoran said, ending that turn on the conversation. "He's…" Syaoran trailed off.

"Yes, he's dead," Tomoyo said quietly. She didn't quite trust her voice now.

Sakura looked at her best friend. Her face was shining from the wetness of the tears, but her eyes were almost the opposite. They used to be so full of life, and sparkled at the mention of almost anything- now they were dull. The only hint to their previous verve was the shimmering aspects of unshed tears.

Tomoyo continued. "I- I couldn't control myself," she mumbled. "I was so mad…"

"We know," Sakura interrupted. "And we don't blame you, Tomoyo-chan. It had to happen- and Mizuki-sensei understands, trust me."

"I know." Tomoyo smiled softly. "Right…Right before she died, I-I think Mizuki-sensei got in control- because she told me something. She said "thank you" to me." Tomoyo bowed her head. "But I couldn't stop Eriol from dying…" Her voice soon became racked with sobs as it became clear that, yes, Tomoyo still had many tears to shed. "I'm sorry," she said. "But I just can't seem to stop crying!" Tomoyo almost laughed, but cried instead. She rested her head down on Eriol's shoulders, and she couldn't prevent the wry thought, 'well, it seems that now Eriol's the one getting wet.'

Tomoyo's sobs soon subsided, as she remained where was- kneeling next to Eriol, her head now buried next to his neck. Sakura spoke hesitantly.

"You really loved him, didn't you, Tomoyo-chan?" Tomoyo's head jerked up and she stared at Sakura, who was shocked when Tomoyo smiled.

"Yes, I suppose I did," Tomoyo said at she looked at Eriol again fondly. She slowly ran a hand through his hair, and a thought occurred to her.

Finding a jagged edge of metal where a car had been ripped in half, Tomoyo took a lock of her hair and cut off two inches of it at the bottom. Ignoring Sakura and Syaoran's puzzled looks, she placed the small lock of hair on Eriol's chest, once she had rolled him over onto his back. She studied him for a minute, and then kissed his cheek lightly.

Suddenly, she felt very empty- as if a part of her had left. She quickly stood, brushed the dirt off of her clothing, and started to walk away without so much as a glance back. Looking at Eriol once more, Sakura and Syaoran hurried after Tomoyo.

They had gotten but three feet when Tomoyo suddenly gasped and grabbed her chest. Her two companions looked at her worriedly as Tomoyo made small noises of pain, and nearly fainted as Sakura and Syaoran rushed over to support her.

"I…don't know…what's happening…" She gasped. She clutched her chest tighter and screamed softly.

Then, just as suddenly as it had started- it stopped. Tomoyo was suddenly aware that Sakura and Syaoran were no longer supporting her. The brief thought of "why" crossed her mind before she stumbled a bit- stumbled straight into a pair of waiting arms. Confused, she looked up- and was arrested by a pair of warm midnight blue eyes, which possessed a teasing twinkle.

            Tomoyo felt as if her chest was about to explode with warmth and affection. She had a million things to say; a million questions to ask; but all that came out of her mouth was a simple: "_how?" _And, then the unspoken question- "_am I dreaming? Maybe I'm dying and having a hallucination…"_

            Eriol laughed and held her tight. "_No. Definitely not a dream…"_ Tomoyo couldn't breathe, but it wasn't because of his hold. It was because her heart was beating so fast, so strongly…

            "Oh, my dear Tomoyo," Eriol chuckled. Tomoyo felt a smile and, inevitable, a blush rise to her face. 

            "What happened to 'my dear Daidouji-san' or Tomoyo-chan?" She asked teasingly; hoping against all hope.

            "They died along with me," Eriol responded, but knowing that this would bring along another barrage of questions. So he just put a fingertip to her lips and told her, "later."

            And then he kissed her.

            Tomoyo felt her body fill with warmth, and she sighed softly against Eriol's lips. Returning the gentle kiss softly, she wasn't even aware of anything but Eriol; not even of Sakura smiling in approval and elbowing her fiancé, who was grinning with an evil gleam in his eyes.

            Eriol broke the kiss slowly, but didn't budge an inch. Tomoyo placed her face in the crook of his shoulders and neck and smiled contently. Then, Eriol's deep voice broke the magic of the moment- or, perhaps, increased it.

            "_Youi alacro con na, alacro conli; aere; youi migau na, alacro migauli."_ Eriol said with a slight tone of amazement in his voice. Tomoyo looked up at him, puzzled. Seeing her confused expression, he chuckled again, and said simply:

            "_What one has not known, one will know; therefore…" _Eriol paused, and a mischievous tenor came into his voice.__

_"What one has not done, one will do."_

AN: I hope you found this satisfying. …I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry now that it's done…well, except for the epilogue. And, since I just _know_ that I'll be getting this question…: yes, Eriol _is_ actually alive; it's _not_ a hallucination or dream. **_It will be explained in the epilogue…and I do have an explanation!!_** ^^;; (By the way…did I give you readers a new respect for Kaho?)

            --hazelwand


	12. Epilogue

AN: *sighs* The final parting. 'Tis been delayed, I do admit (with a sheepish smile, too). A couple things:

Kasumi-san: Yes, I made up that little phrase. Hehe…all your questions will be answered, don't worry. ^^ 

Makoto Almasy: Thanks; I am sneaky. ^^;;

Raven: Nope, you don't have a twisted mind! Yes, Eriol was referring to something of a different nature. *grins* Mainly, he was referring to the fact that he kissed her- and possibly hinting about things to come. ^~ (No, I am not making this a lemon. Or lime. It's just not my style.)

Shadowscribe: Well…I suppose you won't be "forever happy', ne? This update took SO long! Many apologies!

The Great One: No, but that would've been a good idea…*devil horns appear on head* Oops! 

Charm: Yes, I imagine one would be confused. But, hopefully the confusion will clear in this chapter. If not, say so in a review and I'll add an explanation chapter after this.

WARNING: Extreme fluff ahead! Proceed with extreme caution!

Disclaimer: Refer to previous chapters.

Aratamete

Epilogue

            Tomoyo fingered the soft dusty rose fabric, lost in thought. It had been a mere two weeks since the confrontation with Salanor- in other words, just a day before her best friends' wedding! She wistfully smiled. 'They _do deserve it.' Then, Tomoyo laughed out loud. 'And who would've thought __Eriol would be the best man! Oh, the speech is sure to be entertaining!'_

            Giggling in anticipation, she hardly noticed Eriol walking into the room. "Ahem."

            Tomoyo looked up. "Oh, Eriol-kun! Gomen, I was just thinking…"

            "About me, I hope!" Eriol grinned teasingly as he came behind her and lightly put his hands on her shoulders. Tomoyo just rolled her eyes and swatted at him.

            "For your information, I was wondering about the rather unusual casting of the best man." Eriol faked hurt.

            "Why, my dear Tomoyo-chan! Who else would the Card Mistress and her husband-to-be choose?"

            Tomoyo smiled thoughtfully, and put a finger to her chin. "You've got a good point, I suppose," she said. "Have you thought up a speech yet?"

            Eriol paused to consider. "Hmm…" Then he grinned at Tomoyo. "Well, supposing I did- it's for me to know and for you to find out!" Eriol teased, ending that turn in the conversation.

            "Mou…" Tomoyo pouted. Eriol grinned at her.

            "You know that doesn't work…on…me…" Eriol's confidence crumbled as Tomoyo gave him the clichéd Puppy Dog Eyes. "…I'm still not telling you!"

            "Fine," Tomoyo huffed, but there was a twinkle in her eyes. Then she turned serious. "Eriol…" Her lover's teasing grin turned into a frown.

            "What is it?"

            "Remember, after…the-the Salanor incident…you told me that you'd explain to me what happened. Y-you haven't told me yet. When will you?" Eriol's eyes regained its gleam quickly, but it was still a bit subdued. 'He's happy, yet sad,' Tomoyo observed. 'I wonder what…?'

            "I'll tell you…when the time is right." Eriol smiled, a warm, bubbly feeling rising in his chest at the thought that was growing in his mind. "Trust me about this, love."

            Tomoyo's cheeks turned a bit pink at Eriol's usage of the word "love". "Oh, alright," she sighed. Then her mood turned noticeably brighter as she said, grinning, "now, shoo- I have to get Sakura-chan's dress done! She _must look absolutely perfect for her wedding day." Eriol laughed, but complied with her demands. Within seconds he was gone from the room. Tomoyo sighed. "What am I going to do with him?"_

            _You'll get married, have 1.5 kids, and live in a nice big brick house with red tiles…_

'Ha, ha. Very funny.' It must've been something to do with magic, because Tomoyo was now finding herself with an inner…someone…also.

            _You aren't exactly the type, anyway. You'll probably elope, never have kids, and live in…well, here. A huge Victorian-like house that seems like it should be haunted. How the hell can you live here? I'd go crazy every time the floors creak._

'It's an acquired taste, I think.'

            _No kidding. It **is**, or will be, a nice place for a midnight rendezvous…maybe I should make that plural?_

Tomoyo blushed. 'Good god, what is the world coming to? I'm blushing at a remark my so-called conscience made. Are you supposed to be encouraging me to do …that…with Eriol, anyway?'

            _No, but it's fun._

'I have a rebel conscience. Help.'

            _Hee!_

Eriol smirked at his "cute little descendant", who looked like he was going to faint any second. Sakura was walking down the aisle slowly, her eyes fixated on Syaoran and smiling a smile of utter happiness. Eriol could actually see Syaoran's Adam's apple bobbing as he gulped. 'I wonder if I'll be like that when…' His thoughts came to an abrupt halt, and he could feel the heat rising to his cheeks involuntarily.

            "Damnit," he muttered. Tomoyo, who had heard him, looked at him quizzically. Eriol just shook his head and smiled nervously. 'This is not going well,' he thought frustratedly. 'How am I going to…?' Once again, his thoughts came to a halt, but this time it was because the priest had just announced the words:

            "You may now kiss the bride." Eriol grinned, and looked at Tomoyo expectantly. She answered with a wink. Discreetly pulling out a camcorder from her purse, she held it a bit below eye level to capture the moment. Sakura and Syaoran were oblivious. Eriol hid a snort; it was obvious that Tomoyo had not, after all, abandoned her favorite pastime- videotaping.

            Suddenly the crowd burst into whoops, catcalls, and whistles. Syaoran blushed and coughed, while Sakura just giggled and dragged Syaoran down the aisle, with Eriol and Tomoyo in tow. Eriol just shook his head, amused; Tomoyo giggled and continued taping her favorite subjects. "Kawaii…" she squealed softly.

            The after-wedding party was held in Tomoyo's (and unofficially Eriol's) mansion- the great hall was decked in pastel pink and green ribbons, with magic-induced songs filling the entire room. Naturally, Sakura and Syaoran were the first out on the dance floor.

            Eriol turned to Tomoyo, and swept his body into a low bow. Then he grinned up at her, and asked in his most formal voice, "a dance, milady?"

            Tomoyo smiled her consent, but said anyway, "certainly, milord," and grabbed his hand, leading him out onto the dance floor. Eriol just laughed at her vigor.

            Soon, everyone was on the dance floor, swaying softly to the wistful tunes of various love songs. Tomoyo sighed into Eriol's shoulder, and then rested her head on it. Eriol chuckled, and brought her closer. It was like a blanket of warmth was covering her; she felt as if she was floating on air- and so she was! Tomoyo gasped as she realized that she was now floating about two inches above the ground- luckily, no one else had seen it. Eriol whispered into her ear. "This means you're happy." She grinned back.

            "Oh, so now you're telling me what I'm feeling?"

            "Of course," said Eriol, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "you're an emossion- your actions reflect your thoughts, as long as you're not controlling your actions carefully." He waggled his eyebrows. "As you seemed to be so _involved_ in me, I suppose you're not very focused, ne?" He teased.

            Tomoyo kissed his cheek. "Nope, not at all." Eriol smiled widely. He was rubbing off on her.

            "And there's the answer to your question," he whispered huskily into her ear. Tomoyo shivered.

            "What question?"

            "About the 'Salanor incident'." Tomoyo's eyes widened and she looked up at him. Eriol repressed the urge to kiss her right there; this was important. 'Not that kissing her _isn't_ important,' he thought.

            "How?" She repeated, expecting an answer this time.

            Eriol looked tenderly at her, and Tomoyo was surprised how his expression made her heart feel like it was exploding. Her breath shortened. "You love me." It wasn't a question; it was a statement. Tomoyo's cheeks became pink, but affirmed it.

            "Yes." Suddenly, this conversation seemed a lot more important to Eriol than it previously was. Her answer to the statement made Eriol's mind flicker like a light, on and off, off and on- even though he knew already.

            "You were willing to die for me…" Eriol's voice cracked a bit, and Tomoyo nodded, her eyes shining. Eriol suddenly felt so big- yet, still, so small. "…And-" Eriol choked a bit. "You did, in a way."

            Tomoyo just waited with labored breaths.

            "You do remember how your- your-" Eriol made various gestures, and Tomoyo completed the sentence.

            "How my heart felt like it was being ripped in half, and replaced?"

            "Yes. You, well, _gave_ part of your soul to me, and…" Eriol thought a bit. "But it's not like part of it's missing. You know the saying, 'the more love you give, the more you have?'"

            Tomoyo's eyes were now like deer's eyes caught in headlights. "Well, now…" Eriol placed Tomoyo's right hand over his heart. "Some of you, is in me…" He paused. "Th-that's okay, right? I mean, I didn't control it, and I suppose neither did you, but you see-" Eriolw was babbling, but he stopped at the sound of Tomoyo laughter.

            "Of course it's okay!" She gasped. Then she smiled at him with the same amount of tenderness he had at her. "It's more then okay." Eriol could feel his eyes burning, but made no effort to stop it.

            "Your love," Eriol's voice cracked again, "for me, was so strong- the emotion was so strong- that it, well, technically, brought me back to life. You gave me a part of your soul- but it isn't missing from you, it's…" Eriol struggled to find the right word. "_Shared _with me." Eriol smiled. "And- if you want to, that is- I'll give you a part of my soul, too. You know, just to be fair." Tomoyo laughed.

            "I would like that very much." Suddenly, Eriol eyes shut tightly, and Tomoyo felt like her heart was being lifted, lightened. She sighed; it was a wonderful feeling. Being melded into one.

            A sigh escaped Eriol's lips also; apparently he felt it too. Then his eyes opened.

            "It's done."

            A thought occurred to Tomoyo. "I thought I could only do that," she said, confused. "Or, only emossions could. So how did you…" Eriol coughed, apparently embarrassed.

            "Well, I kind of manipulated your powers," he said. "Since I hold a part of you, I can slightly do that- though it takes a lot of effort; like pulling out and tweaking something that very hard to find." Tomoyo smiled as a silence came over them; they were still swaying to the music. (No one else had noticed; they were too involved in their partners.)

            "So," she said, breaking the quiet, "I guess we're soul mates now, ne?" She said this with a light smile on her face, joking a bit.

            "Yes, we are- now," Eriol replied seriously. "Soul mates in the truest sense possible." Abruptly, they were aware of the stop of the music, and Sakura's father clearing his throat.

            "No that we have everyone's attention," he said with a grin, "I'd like to present the best man, Hiriigizawa Eriol! Speech!!" Eriol grinned in anticipation, and made his way through the crowd to the front on the hall, where a make- shift podium stood. Once there, he dramatically cleared his throat and began.

            "Y'know, I think the first time I ever saw Li-kun, it was a sunny day…there was a slight breeze blowing…I smiled at him, and what did he do?" Eriol paused and grinned. "He _glared _at me. The patented Li Clan glare." The crowd laughed, including Syaoran. "Of course, it was all because he was jealous- jealous that Sakura-san here had smiled at _me_ earlier on in the day. Oh, and about that, Li- don't worry; I seriously doubt you have competition now. I'm a bit busy with someone else." Eriol threw a look at Tomoyo, which everyone caught. Most were surprised; they had never heard that Eriol and Tomoyo were a couple. Tomoyo blushed a bit and ducked her head, smiling. Sakura giggled, and Syaoran mock-glared at Eriol. "See? There it is again!" The crowd burst into laughter yet again.

            "And, now, Sakura-san here." Eriol continued. "No offense, my dear, but you _were_ a bit slow on the uptake." Sakura giggled and blushed lightly. "You see, Li-kun was turning _tomato red_ every time he even _saw_ Sakura-san. Usually he ran away- which, as most of you out there know, is pretty fast running. Though probably not a fast as me," Eriol added as a teasing afterthought. Syaoran just rolled his eyes.

            "Somehow, the two got together, even though they were quite far away from one another. As I recall, it had something to do with teddy bears. You still have them?" Eriol threw the question over to the newlyweds, who nodded happily. "Of course. How stupid of me to even _consider_ that they didn't have them.

            "Well, I do wish these two lovebirds many happy years ahead- oh, and Syaoaran? Please don't tire Sakura out _too_ much tonight; I'm sure Tomoyo will want to call her tomorrow morning." Eriol grinned wickedly as he said this, and Syaoaran's face grew bright red- so did Sakura's, at that. Eriol chuckled. "Excellent! You're still doing that!" For the billionth time that night, the guests laughed, and Yamazaki started telling a story- at which Chiharu promptly put a stop to.

            "Now- for the throwing of the bouquet!" All the girls who weren't married (or engaged) yet crowded the floor at Sakura stepped up to the little platform. An unnatural gleam came into her eyes as Syaoaran whispered something into her ear, and she flung it directly at Tomoyo- who caught it with wide eyes and an immediate blush, trying not to look at Eriol. He just smiled, contented with something only he knew.

            Eriol spoke up again, as nearly everyone was looking at him with knowing grins. "Did I mention that you two are absolutely _horrible _matchmakers?" Then he paused. "Still…"

            And Eriol reached down to pull up Tomoyo onto the platform. She was blushing, and seemed to know what was to happen next. As Eriol towered over her, she looked up at him- to find that he was slowly going down to one knee. She gasped- now it was certain. Eriol was…

            "Proposing," Eriol stated, as if if were giving a lecture, "if a very delicate business- not that you two would know," he said, nodding to Sakura and Syaoran, whose mouth were gaping. People would've laughed, if they weren't into mild shock.

            Eril looked at Tomoyo once more, and smiled tenderly at her. She was blushing, and her eyes wide open… "I've never seen you more beautiful than now," he said softly to her, "except when I saw your face, two weeks ago- before our first kiss." Tomoyo touched her lips unconsciously.

            "I've only known you for eleven years," he continued, "but it seems like forever. We know each other, through and through- and don't you even try to deny it!" Eriol grinned at her. Tomoyo responded simply,

            "I would never deny it." And grinned back.

            "So…" Eriol paused to breathe, for some odd reason it was becoming quite hard to. He just hoped he'd live to hear her answer. "Will you, Tomoyo? Will you stay with me forever?"

            Tomoyo looked at him, and without a moment of hesitation, kissed him. Hard. She pulled him from his knees and to her, every single part of their bodies touching. As they broke, Tomoyo whispered against his lips, "of course, Eriol. Did you ever have any doubt?" Eriol's eyes widened, and he brought her into another passionate kiss as the crowd got over their shock and started cheering, Sakura and Syaoran the loudest.

            Once the second kiss ended, Eriol whispered into her ear, "I did it Tomoyo. I knew, and I did- again.

            "I'm not afraid of the unknown…" 

Tomoyo then responded quietly; also a whisper in his ear.

            "Neither am I, Eriol. Neither am I."

            **_FIN._**

****

AN: I sincerely hope you enjoyed reading this fanfiction. lease don't forget to review, and…thank you, once again, especially Kasumi-san (AKA Kasumi Izukawa) for your support and whatnot. (Literally- what not did you give?) Please, read her Of Love and Hate- it a wonderful fanfiction, E/T of course.

A final thought_: "a kiss, when all is said, what is it? A rosy dot placed on the "I" in loving; 'tis a secret told to the mouth instead of to the ear."_ – Edmond Rostand.

--hazelwand


End file.
